Polenta and Pesto
June 13, 2006
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.
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.
