Romanian chicken in a smooth sour-cream and flour-thickened broth sauce, served with golden cornmeal mămăligă.
Ciulama de pui cu mămăligăCiulama de pui cu mămăligă is a Romanian meal of tender chicken served in a pale, creamy sauce thickened with flour, alongside cornmeal polenta. The name describes two parts that are served together: ciulama, the smooth savory sauce with chicken, and mămăligă, a cooked cornmeal preparation. Published Romanian recipes differ in whether the chicken is poached or browned first, which dairy is included and how the sauce is thickened. This version uses chicken thighs, strained cooking broth, a butter-flour roux and sour cream. It keeps the sauce and polenta distinct on the plate so each retains its own texture.
The chicken is first simmered gently with onion and bay in stock and water. This cooks the thighs evenly and creates a flavorful broth for the sauce, so no separate stock needs to be opened or guessed. Keep the pot at a quiet simmer rather than a rolling boil; vigorous bubbling can make the broth cloudy and roughen the meat. Once the chicken is tender, measure some strained broth for the sauce and keep the rest available in case the sauce needs thinning. The meat is not discarded or shredded: whole thighs are returned to the finished ciulama.
The white sauce begins with a pale roux of butter and flour. Cooking the flour briefly removes its raw taste while keeping the roux light in color. Warm broth is whisked in gradually so the flour disperses without lumps. The sauce then simmers until it thickens enough to cling to a spoon. Sour cream and milk add a mild tang and a creamy body. Tempering the dairy with a little hot sauce before it goes into the pan narrows the temperature difference and helps the mixture stay smooth.
Romanian recipes for ciulama use several related approaches, including flour-thickened broth and sour cream, with chicken pieces cooked in or added to the sauce. Mămăligă is a familiar partner for many Romanian sauces and stews, and published menus pair the two under the dish name used here. These references support the pairing, but they do not establish a single official ingredient list. This recipe therefore describes one repeatable home method and does not claim that every version includes the same dairy, vegetables or chicken cut.
The cornmeal preparation needs attention while it thickens. Whisk the meal gradually into boiling salted water to disperse it, then turn the heat low and stir often with a wooden spoon. The mixture becomes firmer as it cooks, so scrape the bottom and corners to prevent sticking. A fine-to-medium grind works well for a soft but spoonable side. Butter stirred in at the end rounds the flavor and gives the polenta a smoother finish. Starting it while the chicken simmers keeps both parts warm and ready around the same time.
Food safety matters throughout the method. Keep raw poultry on its own board and wash hands, tools and surfaces after handling it. Do not rinse raw chicken, because splashes can spread its juices around the sink. Use a food thermometer in the thickest part of a thigh without touching bone; it must reach at least 74 °C. Color alone does not confirm that poultry is safe. Transfer cooked chicken with clean utensils, and keep it separate from the plate or tools that held it raw.
The finished ciulama should be creamy and pourable, not gluey or watery. If it thickens while standing, whisk in a little more hot strained broth until it flows around the chicken. If the sauce is too loose, simmer it gently for another minute or two before adding the chicken. Avoid a hard boil after the sour cream is added. A gentle heat helps protect its smooth texture. Taste for salt only after the broth and dairy have been combined, since the stock may already contribute seasoning.
Serve the chicken and sauce hot beside the mămăligă, with chopped parsley scattered over the top. The cornmeal should hold its shape on a plate but remain soft enough to cut with a spoon. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow covered containers within two hours, keeping them at 4 °C or colder, and use them within 3–4 days. Reheat the chicken and sauce until steaming hot throughout; reheat the polenta separately with a small splash of water or milk if it has firmed in the refrigerator.
Put the chicken thighs, quartered onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, 8 g salt, chicken stock and water in a large pot. Bring just to a simmer, skim if needed, then cook gently for 30–35 minutes. Check the thickest thigh away from the bone with a food thermometer; it must reach 74 °C. Lift the chicken onto a clean tray and strain the broth.
While the chicken cooks, bring 1.3 L water and 8 g of the salt to a boil in a saucepan. Whisk in the cornmeal gradually so no dry pockets form. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 25–30 minutes, stirring frequently, until thick and tender. Stir in 15 g butter, cover and keep warm.
Melt 50 g butter in a clean saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk continuously for 1–2 minutes, until it forms a smooth pale paste. Do not let the roux brown; a light color keeps the ciulama sauce pale.
Measure 900 ml strained hot chicken broth. Pour it into the roux in several small additions, whisking smooth after each pour before adding more. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until it is smooth and coats the back of a spoon.
Whisk the sour cream and milk together in a bowl. Whisk in a ladle of hot sauce a little at a time, then pour the warmed mixture back into the saucepan while stirring. Add the white pepper and remaining salt. Keep the sauce below a hard boil so the dairy stays smooth.
Return the cooked chicken thighs to the sauce and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes, turning once so each piece is coated. The chicken should remain at or above 74 °C. If the sauce becomes thicker than you want, whisk in a little more hot strained broth. Stir in half the chopped parsley.
Spoon the warm mămăligă onto serving plates and place a chicken thigh beside or over each portion. Ladle the creamy sauce over the chicken, scatter the remaining parsley on top and serve promptly.
Small bubbles cook the chicken evenly and help keep the strained broth clear.
Add warm broth in several small pours and whisk smooth before adding more.
Warm it with a ladle of sauce before combining so the dairy is less likely to split.
Once it thickens, scrape the bottom and sides regularly to prevent sticking.
Boneless thighs may replace bone-in thighs by weight. They cook faster, so use a thermometer and remove them from the simmer once the thickest part reaches 74 °C.
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| The white sauce has lumps | Whisk it firmly while adding hot broth in small amounts. If needed, strain the sauce before returning the chicken. |
| The sauce looks split after adding sour cream | Take it off the heat and whisk in a spoonful of warm broth. Next time, temper the sour cream and avoid boiling the finished sauce. |
| The polenta sticks to the pot | Lower the heat and stir more often, scraping the bottom and corners. Add a small splash of hot water if it has become too stiff before it is tender. |
| Original ingredient | Practical substitute | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs | Boneless chicken thighs | Use the same weight. Boneless pieces cook faster, so check their temperature early and stop at 74 °C. |
Keep chicken and polenta covered in shallow containers in the refrigerator.
Refrigerate within two hours at 4 °C or colder. Use within 3–4 days.
Reheat the chicken and sauce until steaming hot throughout. Reheat polenta separately with a splash of water or milk if needed.
It is Romanian chicken served in a creamy, flour-thickened sauce alongside cornmeal polenta called mămăligă. Recipes vary in their exact ingredients.
Yes. Use the same weight, but check sooner because boneless pieces cook faster. The thickest part must reach 74 °C.
Whisk broth into the roux gradually and temper the sour cream with hot sauce before adding it. Keep the pan below a hard boil afterward.
Refrigerate in shallow covered containers within two hours, at 4 °C or colder, and use within 3–4 days. Reheat until steaming hot throughout.
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