POLENTA TRIANGLES WITH ROASTED RED BELL PEPPER SAUCE

Polenta Triangles With Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce image

Italian comfort food! Love the the texture with the cheesy crust of the polenta. I prefer to bake the polent, however I've also included instructions for frying. Time does not include chilling time for the polenta (which can be made 24 hours in advance).

Provided by Galley Wench

Categories European

Time 35m

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

4 cups vegetable stock or 4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup polenta (not quick-cooking) or 1 cup yellow cornmeal (not stone ground)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, stems discarded
4 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded
1 poblano chiles (adjust to taste) or 1 jalapeno, roasted, peeled and seeded (adjust to taste)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 shallots
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, stems discarded
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons olive oil
parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated

Steps:

RED PEPPER SAUCE:.
Roast the red and poblano peppers whole over a gas flame, a charcoal flame or under a broiler, turning 1/4 rotation every few minutes, until entirely blackened.
Immediately place in a paper bag, seal, and let sit for 3 minutes.
Peel off the charred skin and discard.
Slice the peeled peppers open and discard the membranes and seeds.
Thinly slice two of the red peppers and set aside.
In a saute pan over medium heat, heat the butter and olive oil and add the shallots.
Cook for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the shallots just begin to show signs of browning.
Add the stock, 2 roasted bell peppers, poblano chili, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. (Adjust heat as required to simmer.).
Remove from heat and let cool.
In a food processor or blender (I use my kitchen 'motorboat'), add pan contents along with the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Blend until smooth.
Return to sauce pan and add remaining thinly sliced red pepper.
Set aside.
POLENTA:.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring stock to a boil.
Slowly pour in polenta, stirring constantly with a whisk as you add it.
Reduce heat to moderately low and cook, stirring constantly, until polenta is smooth.
Reduce to low heat, cover and cook until polenta is smooth, and no longer gritty on the tongue, about 30 minutes. Just before finishing, stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano and thyme.
Pour creamy polenta into lightly oiled round cake or pie pan using a rubber spatula to smooth the surface.
Refrigerate polenta until completely cold and firm.
Cut polenta into wedges and remove from pan with a spatula.
To Bake:.
Bake at 450 degrees for until lightly browned, approximately 10-12 minutes.
Pan Fried:.
Add enough olive oil to completely coat the bottom of a large, heavy skillet and heat to medium.
Add as many polenta triangles as you can without crowding the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden. Sprinkle lightly with grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese.
To Serve:.
Just before serving, re-heat sauce in a saucepan and stir in cream.
Ladle 1/2 cup of roasted red bell pepper sauce over each wedge. Top with Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve immediately.