Savory Polenta

Ya don't be callin' this a cornmeal patty my friend. 

This is POLENTA.

And I'm hooked on it.  I first had it at a fancy schmancy Brazilian restaurant in Scottsdale and was craving it ever since.  After a decent amount of Googling, I opted on this recipe I got from Alton Brown off of Food Network.  And honestly, I change every single recipe I try but not this one. Well, except I will never use unsalted butter (totally unnecessary if you asked me), and I did use yellow onion instead of red, and I did add a little extra Parm,  and I didn't have any parchment paper, but other than that...


Savory Polenta:

2 T olive oil, plus more for frying
3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 quart chicken broth
3 T unsalted butter
1 1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
1 cup coarse cornmeal
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large, oven-safe saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the red onion and salt and sweat until the onions begin to turn translucent.  Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic, and sauté for another minute. 

Turn up the heat to high, add broth.  Gradually add the cornmeal while continually whisking.  Cover the pot and place in oven.  Cook for 35-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent lumps.

Once the mixture is creamy, remove from the oven and add the butter, salt and pepper.  Once incorporated, add the Parmesan gradually. 

Serve as is or pour the polenta into a 9 x 13 lined with parchment paper.  Place in the refrigerator to cool completely. 

Once set, turn the polenta out onto a cutting board and cut into squares, rounds, or triangles.  Brush each side with olive oil and sauté in a nonstick skillet over medium heat or grill.

I cut mine into rounds, mostly so I could eat the scraps. I swear it's worth taking it out of the oven every 10 minutes to stir.

Here, I served it with a roasted veggie spaghetti sauce. 

For that I took a zucchini, summer squash, onions, mushrooms, and an eggplant, diced 'em up, drizzled them with olive oil, sprinkled with salt, and roasted them in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes.  Then I added them to some spaghetti sauce I already had.  This here is actually served over baked spaghetti squash instead of pasta  So it's kind of veggies over veggies, (is that wrong?) but it was really good!

PS:  Don't leave out the Parmesan.  It was the crowning jewel.  It was the last flavor that combined with the others that put it over the top!

Posted by: Rona