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POLENTA BY ALEX MACKAY
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Often passed off as a substitute for potatoes, rice or pasta, polenta hasn’t always had the acclaim it has today. In this age where we rush about like mad and no-one has a moment to spare, the traditional way of making polenta, cooked in a pot in the fireplace and stirred continuously for an hour or so, is considered a little long winded for most! Merchant Gourmet One Minute Cook Polenta is made from a very finely ground maize allowing for a much quicker cooking time, but still resulting in wonderfully flavoursome polenta. One of nature’s fast foods.
Cooked with chicken stock for a rich, wholesome, slightly meaty taste or simply in water for a purer, more delicate flavour, polenta is a blank canvas that offers itself to an enormous range of flavouring and accompaniments. As with so many things in the kitchen, the success of polenta relies on the seemingly basic acts of tasting and seasoning. Salt, black pepper and a pinch of cayenne pepper, are all that need to be added to create full flavoured, delicious polenta. If it appears simple that’s because it is. Some garlic, lots of herbs, lemon juice and zest also brighten things up, always enhancing, but not overtaking the taste of the polenta itself.
Polenta can be served in its soft, wet state or, cooked for a little longer and left to become firm.
When soft it loves a little cream, mascarpone or butter to make it even more luscious and rich. If not cooking it in stock, I’ll often use milk; you can infuse this with garlic and robust herbs like thyme or rosemary. This gives you a strong underlying taste and if you then add plenty of strong cheese it becomes a very moreish plateful which you’ll find yourself gobbling up greedily. In winter polenta is a wonderful and flavoursome partner to braised meats and stews. A great accompaniment for anything with plenty of sauce, in fact, if you make a pan of polenta with plenty of butter and parmesan you can save the meat in your stew for another time and just enjoy your polenta all mixed up with the rich gravy.
If you approach polenta with love you can serve it as you would risotto. Flavour it with herb or vegetable purees, adding them just before serving to keep in their fresh flavour and vibrant colours as I have in one of my recipes. Polenta is a wonderful comfort food, but there is no need for it to hibernate during the summer months. Just finish it with some roasted peppers, some infused extra virgin olive oil, a little vinegar and black pepper and complete the picture with basil and you’ve got a summer hit.
I ate a great mixture recently, as pleasing to the eye as the palate, at a friend’s restaurant in Australia. He paired a very soft, creamy polenta with a mixture of chopped dried cepes, fresh peas and sweet corn and finished it with a sprinkling of basil and lemon juice. Simple as you like and absolutely superb.
Polenta in its firm state is just as versatile. I’ve used it with great result here as a crust for my favourite tart topping of sweet melting onions. You can spread it very thinly and use it as a base for canapés, topped with a mixture of soft blue cheese, hazelnuts and herbs, or a little smoked salmon tartare and crème fraiche. Grill, bake or fry it to crisply coat the outside and top it with Parma ham, tapenade and goat’s cheese or pesto and anchovies. A real treat when in season is a topping of creamed wild mushrooms.
Try the soft herby one, and the tart and give your imagination a free reign for a while. I think you’ll agree with me, polenta is really quite dishy, no matter what the season. Not just a bit on the side for those cold winter days.
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