La Platicona Habla: Tastes, Passions and Pursuits

The Baking Master has always had a thing against polenta. However this week, I decided to make a tasty polenta that doesn't taste like mealy bird feed.

For this recipe, I used Bob's brand polenta. I made polenta squares rather than porridge type polenta. You can cut the squares and eat them as a side with any fish and vegetable. I made homemade fish sticks, asparagus and polenta squares. Delicious. To reheat, you can lightly saute them in a pan, broil them, or nuke 'em in the microwave.

You will need:
- 2 c water, and extra 1/2 c for the end stage
- 1 c vegetable broth
- 1 c polenta
- knob of butter
- 3 stalks sliced scallions
- 1/2 c Parmesan or other dry cheese like Gruyere
- salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy sauce pot, bring water and broth to boil. Slowly pour in polenta. Turn heat down and simmer over medium-low heat. You should use a long wooden spoon to keep your hands and arms from being burned by boiling bits of polenta. You should also stir this dish frequently. The dish takes about 30 minutes cooking time.

When 30 minutes passes, add remaining 1/2 c water if mixture is dry. Stir in butter, scallions, and Parmesan, stirring frequently over low heat. After about 5 minutes, pour mixture out into a greased cookie sheet. Let set up for 15 minutes and serve in slices. The cheese and scallions really makes this dish.

Some variations I have tasted include dried cherries and sauteed mushrooms with gorgonzola chunks. I've also had polenta that was broiled and served like a cake with braised lamb on top. Mmmmm. Try it Baking Master, and be converted.

Labels: polenta

Despite my many attempts at creating a flavorful polenta dish like Polenta and Pesto, and other failed experiments at home that I dare not publish here, I haven't quite mastered a polenta recipe that I can truly say I love. However, Mario Batali gave me some inspiration for my premade loaf of garlic and basil polenta sitting my refrigerator. I didn't have the exact ingredients for his anchiove polenta fritters, but the gist of the recipe -- dredging the fritters in flour and egg wash -- won me over. I altered his recipe by creating a vegetarian version, and if you are a vegan, than the Polenta and Pesto recipe is for you (no eggs). Otherwise, this fritter recipe was golden. I may also attempt different versions of the dish, including prosciutto and gorgonzola, or mushroom, gorgonzola, and sour cherries. At any rate, this "fritter" dish is my starter plate.

Labels: pesto, polenta

Polenta is a corn based mush that is eaten soft, like cream of wheat, or solid like a corn cake. Italian dishes using polenta vary in texture and flavor, and difficulty. Despite my efforts to find raw polenta, I could only locate a pre-cooked version at the grocery store that appeared in the pasta and rice aisle as a sausage link.
I chose a plain polenta in order to flavor it however I pleased. The solid loaf of polenta had to be carefully unwrapped and patted dry with a paper towel. I decided to simply cut pieces from the loaf and lightly fry them in olive oil. Alternatively, I could have put the entire loaf into a pan and cooked it down into a mush, flavoring it as I pleased, but I wanted to test an unadulterated version. I treated this dish like the corn gorditas dish, and paired it with other vegetables and sides. I suggest you try it like this first, to see if you fancy the flavor, and then experiment with other cooking methods.

You will need:
- a loaf of pre-cooked polenta
- 3 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 clove of minced garlic

Step one: Unwrap the polenta loaf and slice off 1/2 inch thick rounds. In a large saute pan, heat your olive oil over medium-high heat until it pops (add the garlic and if the oil sizzles, it's ready).

Step Two: Place up to 5 roudns in the bottom of the pan and fry each side until golden brown - about 4 minutes.

Step Three: Serve the cakes over a bed of field greens and top with pesto.

I served these polenta cakes with a side of tomato wedges that I cooked for a few minutes in the same saute pan, and some asparagus. The verdict: well, the polenta is rather flavorless and the pesto really helped pick up the taste, so next time, I will cook the polenta with a little water down to a mush and add some garlic, herbs, and maybe even some leeks to give it texture and flavor. But, the pesto on top wasn't bad.

Labels: pesto, polenta