I hate to toot my own horn, but I am pretty famous for my polenta. I have been known to convert polenta haters to polenta lovers.
A few months ago, our neighbors decided to have an impromptu potluck and I was asked to bring something warm since everyone else decided to go to Costco and buy pasta salad. Me, with my two burners... great. But, lightning struck! Of course -- polenta! Quick, one burner, tasty. Done. It was the hit of the party, although The Mayor kept getting the kudos because he carried in the damn pot so everyone thought he made it. Harrumph.
Yes, polenta can be a bit of work and yes, you have to have patience mixing it or you will have horrible, god-awful little lumps of uncooked cornmeal and yes, you must season it well or it can be really bland. But, once you get the technique down, it's super easy and can be really wonderful. And there is no better place to start than here: Polenta: Over 40 Recipes for All Occasions
Okay, maybe you need to be a polenta lover to have a cookbook devoted to just polenta. But, trust me, if you aren't a polenta lover now, just try a few of the recipes in this book, and you will be converted. You will be the next one taking polenta to the neighbors and be crowned king or queen for the night. (Just don't take it to a party I will be at... that's my polenta turf!)
The Mayor is a polenta fiend. As I was leafing through the book this weekend, he walked in and asked what I was doing. I replied, "Just looking through a cookbook to see what I'm gonna cook..." Oh, he said, and kept on walking. I called after him, "Hey! Don't you want to know what kind of cookbook?" Tell me, he said. I just held up the cover to him. Ah, the jubilation. I know what makes him tick.
If you think polenta is just a one-trick pony, this book will open a whole new bag for you. There are recipes for breakfast, hors d'Oeuvres, main courses, side dishes and desserts. Since The Mayor is such a fan, there was quite a bit of cornmeal flying around the kitchen this weekend:
- Crabmeat Polenta with Lemon Chive Sauce
- Lamb & Artichoke Stew with Oregano Polenta Dumplings
- Venison Medallions on Cranberry-Orange Polenta Diamonds
- Polenta Dolce with Dates and Ricotta
The Crabmeat Polenta was foiled due to our neighbor's oven. (Do you wonder why I am putting in six ovens in the VBB???) It is a heavenly mixture of crabmeat, tomatoes, kalamata olives, Parmesan cheese, scallions, garlic, a couple eggs and of course, polenta. This gorgeous mass is supposed to baked, then spooned onto plates and topped with a light sour cream-lemon-chive sauce. As I mixed it all together, I called The Mayor in to light the stove... He burned through a pack of matches... no whoosh. Dammit. I can't wait for my electric ovens. We ate it anyway -- I just heated it up in a pan so it was hot, then topped it with the cool cream... It wasn't pretty, but it was delicious.
The Lamb & Artichoke Stew was foiled by Albertson's supermarket -- no decent lamb, so I substituted beef. I don't think it made a difference in the end. I made the stew and stuck it in the fridge to eat this week. It is so rich and savory, I think I should have made a double batch to freeze. The polenta dumplings came together in a flash, and cooked up light and airy. I couldn't finish my bowl, so The Mayor grabbed it, but complained that the dumpling to stew ratio was off in my remains. Well, excuse me.
Our main course was the Venison Medallions, but again with the substitutions, I used pork. We like pork. Venison, not so much. The recipe for the polenta diamonds is highly unusual, incorporating orange zest, orange juice and dried cranberries into the mix. You let that cool, then cut into diamonds and then fry 'em until brown. The Mayor used an expletive to describe them. They were that good. Not to mention the sauce that is poured over the meat -- too die for.
And to end our polenta parade, a dessert -- the Polenta Dolce. This is a basic polenta made with milk instead of stock, a bit of sugar and some Grand Marnier. Top it with some sweetened ricotta cheese and chopped dates and Bob's your uncle:
This was the only thing The Mayor was not too fond of... he said it reminded him of Irish porridge. I thought it was yummy, if a bit rich, especially after the polenta overload of the day.
The author gives secrets to polenta-making success and also breaks down the different types of cornmeal available. She says she cannot stand behind results of polenta made with the medium-ground type yellow cornmeal you find in the grocery stores, but I have had nothing but success using it, and I really don't want to have to seek out true "polenta cornmeal" every time The Mayor and I get a hankering.
The biggest tip I have for you polenta novices out there is this: While stirring your barely simmering liquid, take a fistful of polenta and slowly, slowly, slowly, let it fall through your fingers. Then, get another fistful and repeat the process.
For the cup of polenta that I was using, it took me about 8 handfuls and about 5 minutes to incorporate it all into a lump-free mixture. This is time-consuming and patience is required, but you will be rewarded with a smooth, golden polenta that will make your friends and neighbors swoon and think you are a magician in the kitchen. Just don't let your spouse carry the pot to the party.
Pork Chops on Cranberry-Orange Polenta Diamonds
Adapted from Polenta: Over 40 Recipes for All Occasions
by Brigit Légère Binns
Polenta Diamonds:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 ounce pancetta, coarsely chopped
1/2 medium-size red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
Grated zest of 1 orange
3 cups water
2 cups beef stock, divided
Juice of 1 orange
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 cup polenta or coarsely ground yellow cornmeal
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 pork chops
3 more tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 cup Pinot Noir or other dry, fruity red wine
To make the polenta: In a large heavy saucepan, combine the oil and the pancetta and cook over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the pancetta has rendered its fat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the orange zest and stir for 1 minute more. Add the water, 1 cup of the beef stock, orange juice, and salt to the pan and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and, when the liquid is simmering, gradually sprinkle the polenta over in a very slow, thin stream, whisking constantly in the same direction until all of the grains have been incorporated and no lumps remain. Reduce the heat to low. Switch to a wooden paddle and stir every 1 or 2 minutes for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and the grains of polenta have softened. [Tart's note: I don't cook the polenta nearly this long. It always seems to be done much sooner.] Stir in the butter cubes, dried cranberries, and pepper. The mixture will be very thick.
Rinse an 8x12-inch roasting pan [Tart here again: Pyrex or anything else is just fine] with cold water and shake dry. Mound the polenta in the pan and using a rubber spatula repeatedly dipped in very hot water, spread the polenta evenly in the pan until it is just over 1/4 thick. [I just used my hands.] Cover the pan with a tea towel and allow to rest for 1 hour at room temperature or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
When ready to serve, preheat a broiler to high heat.
Cut the polenta into 12 diamond shapes [I found this finicky -- squares are fine], brush them with melted butter and put them under the hot broiler for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until golden and crunchy.
Salt and pepper both sides of the pork chops. In a large heavy skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat and cook the chops to taste. Remove to a plate in a low oven while you finish the sauce.
Immediately turn up the heat under the skillet to high and add the Grand Marnier. [Take the pan off the heat first -- then put the pan back on the flame -- safety first!] Add the remaining cup of beef stock and the pinot noir to the pan and reduce rapidly until there is only a scant 1 cup of slightly syrupy liquid remaining. [I reduced the sauce, but not as far down as the author suggested. I then added a paste of 2 tablespoons butter and two tablespoons flour to the sauce to thicken. I like more sauce and the way the butter makes the sauce glisten.]
Place two polenta diamonds in the center of each plate and top with a chop. Drizzle sauce over the top and garnish with thinly sliced oranges topped with 2 dried cranberries.
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