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Enriched with grated cheese and butter, polenta is one of the ultimate Italian-style comfort foods. Throw in something cream-centric, such as mascarpone (Italian-style cream cheese) or crème fraiche (French-style cultured cream), and we’re talking paradise in a spoon.
Polenta is similar to the cornmeal mush served in the American South, but don’t pigeonhole it as gruel. Italian cuisine uses it in oh-so-alluring ways, topping it with delectable sauces or using it as a counterpoint to rich meat. It can easily turn into a vegetarian entrée by topping it with roasted vegetables.
Columbus’ sailors carried corn back from their voyage to the New World, reputedly holding a low opinion of the golden nuggets. Today, corn is grown all over Italy. Ground into meal, polenta is central to diets in several regions of northern Italy.
At the local Albertson’s supermarket where I often shop, I buy Bob’s Red Mill Organic Polenta (also labeled “Corn Grits”); it’s also sold at natural food stores and some other large supermarkets. In a pinch I use standard medium-ground or coarsely-ground yellow cornmeal.
My favorite simple recipe for side-dish polenta is from Ina Garten. It cooks the polenta in sodium-reduced chicken broth and makes the mix creamy-delicious by adding Parmesan, cream fraiche, and butter. Yes, sometimes I turn it into a main course by topping it with Bolognese sauce, or covering it with a nice mound of roasted veg.
I also love to use polenta in desserts, such as Lemon Polenta Cake, a luscious not-too-sweet dessert that showcases fresh berries and rosemary syrup.
For another approach, rather than cooking it from scratch, cooked polenta is available in cellophane-wrapped tubes or “chubs.” Some are plain, others augmented with Hatch chilies, sun-dried tomatoes, or Italian herbs. They can be cut into slices and pan-seared in a little olive oil. The recipe that follows is a delicious example of this method. It tops the seared slices with sausage hash; fried eggs crown the dish and make a silky sauce when the yolks are broken.
Or slices from those tubes can be quickly grilled. Cut into 3/4-inch-thick rounds, brush them generously with extra-virgin olive oil on both sides, and season with salt and pepper. Place on a clean heated grill and cook about 8 to 10 minutes per side (or until nicely grill marked). Be patient to prevent them from breaking. Leave them in place until it is time to turn them so a little crust forms to avoid sticking.
Lemon Polenta Cake with Fresh Berries and Rosemary Syrup
Yield: 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
Vegetable oil for greasing pan, parchment paper
1 cup polenta or medium-grind yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt (not Greek-style)
1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (colored part only)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 pint fresh strawberries (sliced or halved) or raspberries or blackberries, or a combination
Rosemary Syrup, cooled and strained, recipe in cook’s notes
Sweetened whipped cream
Garnish: sprigs fresh rosemary and/or mint
Cook’s notes: Cake can be prepared 5 days in advance, wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated. Syrup can be stored airtight in jar in refrigerator up to 1 week.
To make Rosemary Syrup: Place 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup dry white wine, 1/3 cup water, 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh rosemary, 1 large bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns and 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar in saucepan over high heat. Bring to boil on high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes. Cool and strain. Syrup can be stored airtight in jar in refrigerator up to 1 week.
PROCEDURE
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom of 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and grease parchment and sides of pan lightly with vegetable oil.
2. Stir cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt in bowl with whisk; set aside. In a separate large bowl for the electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs and egg whites in large bowl until smooth. Beat in butter, oil, yogurt, lemon zest and juice until creamy. Fold in dry ingredients just until combined; do not overmix. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top with spatula.
3. Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes on wire rack. Invert on plate and peel off paper; cool.
4. Meanwhile, prepare rosemary syrup (see cook’s notes). Cool syrup.
4. Cut cake into 8 wedges and place on dessert plates. Scatter berries around cake and drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons rosemary syrup over each serving. Place dollop of whipped cream on cake. Garnish with rosemary sprig and/or mint.
Ina’s Creamy Parmesan Polenta
Yield: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
4 cups sodium-reduced chicken broth
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 cup polenta or medium-ground yellow cornmeal
1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
1/4 cup crème fraiche, see cook’s notes
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
Cook’s Notes: Crème fraiche is a cultured cream that has a lovely nutty flavor and looks like sour cream. It is sold in small tubs; in my local supermarket it is in the refrigerated specialty cheese section.
Polenta is best cooked and served immediately, but to reheat the polenta, place the cold mixture in a pot with extra chicken broth or water and reheat slowly over low heat, stirring until smooth.
PROCEDURE
1. Place the chicken broth in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and very slowly whisk in the cornmeal, whisking constantly to make sure there are no lumps.
2. Switch to a wooden spoon or wooden spatula, add the salt and pepper, and simmer rigorously, stirring almost constantly, for 10 minutes, until thick. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly while you’re stirring. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, crème fraiche, and butter. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top if you like.
Source: Adapted from “Barefoot Contessa: How Easy is That?” by Ina Garten (Clarkson Potter, $32.50)
Fraker’s Pan-Seared Polenta with Breakfast Hash and Sunny-Side-Up Eggs
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 (1 pound) tube-style (chub) Hatch Pepper Polenta, or Original, Italian Herb or Sun-Dried Tomato flavored tube-style polenta
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Hash:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 sweet onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 pound sausage, beer brats preferred, casings removed and crumbled
1/2 pound ground beef, 80/20 preferred (80 percent lean, 20 percent fat)
1/2 pound Dutch Yellow potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup (1/4-inch) diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup (1/4-inch diced) red bell pepper
1/4 cup (1/4-inch diced) yellow bell pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon smoked ground paprika
Eggs:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 large eggs
PROCEDURE
1. Cut polenta tube into eight 1/2-inch-thick slices. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil on medium-high heat. Add polenta in a single layer (you may need to do this in two batches). Sear until you get a nice golden brown on one side then flip them and repeat. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
2. To the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and butter. Stir in onion and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add sausage and ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks completely, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining hash ingredients. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 3 to 4 minutes, tossing occasionally. Set aside.
3. In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil on high heat until oil starts to shimmer. Crack an egg into a small bowl and carefully pour into the pan. Repeat for another egg and reduce the heat to low. Cook 2 eggs at a time. When the edges of the egg white begin to set, use a fork to separate the whites slightly closest to the yolk. This will help the egg whites set evenly. When the eggs are cooked, remove them from the pan and repeat for the remaining eggs.
4. To assemble, place 2 polenta slices on a plate. Top with some hash and top the hash with 2 fried eggs. Repeat with remaining ingredients, making three more servings. When you cut through the egg, the runny yolk creates a nice silky sauce.
Source: Chef Tom Fraker, corporate executive chef/test kitchen manager, Melissa’s Produce
Have a cooking question? Contact Cathy Thomas at cathythomascooks@gmail.com
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