100 Things you should eat before you die: #3 Polenta

3. Polenta

(This is the first one I've had that's on the list.)

Polenta is boiled corn meal mush. Sounds appetizing, huh? Well it is good stuff. In my opinion, it has more flavor than grits and is more versatile. It also has hundreds of different variations. I tend to prefer mine savory and a touch salty, but some people like maple syrup on theirs.

Growing up my mom referred to it as peasant food and wouldn't make it. (She didn't like grits either). When I got out on my own I finally tried it and discovered that I really enjoyed it, ensuring it a place as a staple in my pantry.

My favorite way to make it is to boil it then chill it. When you boil the corn meal, it develops a smooth and creamy texture. This is due to the gelatinization of the starch in the corn. This gelling also allows you to mold the polenta into a log. Once I chill the log I like to slice it and fry it in a little butter and garlic.

When I have described polenta to friends I remark that it is sort of like scrapple or livermush, just without the unknown pig parts. This description doesn't do it justice, but it at least can give you a reference point.(2)

In doing research for this blog I ran across a couple of different recipes. The first hails from the city of São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil. This town is noted for its restaurants specializing in frango com polenta (fried chicken with fried polenta).

Frango com Polenta (1)
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3.5 lb whole chicken, cut into serving pieces
• 1 tsp. canola oil, or other neutral vegetable oil
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 japapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion, green parts only
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal (polenta)

Instructions

• In large heavy-duty pan (I always recommend cast iron), heat the oil then fry the chicken pieces until nicely browned on all sides. Fry in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding. Use additional oil if required to avoid sticking.
• Return all the chicken to the pan, then add the salt, garlic and turmeric, mixing well to cover all the chicken with the seasonings. Add the water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover the pan. Cook for approximately 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken to a large serving platter, cover with half of the cooking liquid, sprinkle with the green onion and cilantro, and keep warm.
• Return the remaining half of the cooking liquid to the heat, and when simmering add the cornmeal in a slow, steady stream, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Cook, stirring constantly, just until the cornmeal begins to thicken enough to retain its shape on a spoon. If the polenta becomes to thick, add hot water to thin it out. The consistency should be like oatmeal.
• Place the polenta in a bowl, and serve it and the chicken immediately.

Recipe translated and adapted from Cozinha Regional Brasileira by Abril Editora.

The second recipe I found involves lots of cheese and sausage (two of my favorite things!). It also introduced me to a great website (and now I need to learn Italian).(3)

Polenta con Salsiccia, Fontina e Gorgonzola

Ingredients

• 1 pound Italian Sausage
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 cups water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 ounces Fontina cheese
• 8 ounces Goronzola cheese

Instructions

• Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat.(4)
  
• Add the butter, and stir until melted. Cut cheese in chunks and mix with cooked polenta.
• Cut sausage into pieces about 1 to 2 inches long. Brown in olive oil over medium heat. Add red wine to pan. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Pour the polenta into serving dish, make a hole in the center and pour in the sausages with all the cooking liquid.
  

In reality, Polenta is not that rare, even here in the land of grits. What's your favorite method for preparing polenta or grits? Post a reply with your recipe.

Bon Appetit!

Sources:

1. http://flavorsofbrazil.blogspot.com/2010/05/recipe-country-style-chicken-with-angu.html
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polenta#Similarity_with_other_foods
3. http://www.ricettericette.org/page/3/
4. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/basic-polenta-recipe/index.html

Pizza night!

Tonight was pizza night! Every once and a while we'll go mess up someone else's kitchen. Last night we were at our friend's house for a Christmas party and she put out one hell of a spread. As we were getting ready to leave, we got to talking about leftovers and I mentioned pizza. Pizza is a very versatile flavor delivery device. In this case she had lots of different things, but not huge amounts of one particular item. With such a large array of ingredients, it was easy to convert them into pizza toppings.

With toppings available we need a crust. Here's my favorite quick crust:

Beer Pizza Dough

4 cups Self-Rising Flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 12 ounce bottle of beer

Take 3 1/2 cups of flour (reserve the remaining 1/2 cup) and combine with salt and sugar. Add olive oil and beer. Mix thoroughly, use a dough hook if available. Remove dough ball from bowl and work remaining 1/2 cup of flour into dough until ball is smooth with a slight shine (sticky is okay). Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes, covered with a warm, moist towel or heading pad.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Divide ball in two. Roll out ball on floured surface to desired consistency and depth (I prefer about 1/4 inch thick). Cover pizza stone or pizza pan with light coating of corn meal. Place toppings on pizza and place in oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

One note, if you are going to be placing A LOT of moist ingredients on the pizza or you plan on grilling the pizza, I highly recommend you par bake the pizza for 5 minutes before you place the toppings on the crust.

These are very basic instructions and there are definitely lots of things you could do with this recipe.

Here are some ideas:

1) Deep Dish Pizza
Substitute 1/4 cup of vegetable shortening for olive oil. Use a cast iron skillet instead of pizza pan. Layer Italian sausage (removed from casing, on bottom, cover with slices of mozzarella cheese and sauce. Cook ad 350 degrees for between 45 minutes to 1 hour.

2) Honey Porter Caramelized Onions
Substitute 2 tablespoons of honey for the 1 tablespoon of sugar. Use 12 ounces of Porter. To enhance the flavor of the onions, cook slowly over medium heat stirring constantly. Add another 6 to 12 ounces of porter to the pan to help deglaze the pan and add in color and caramelization. cover pizza dough with onions and shredded Swiss cheese.

3) Continental Pizza
In a medium saucepan pour 1 cup port wine and 1/2 cup of sugar bring to a simmer. Quarter and core 3 small pears. Place pears, cut side down into pan and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Place pears on dough. Cover with Gorgonzola, Fontina, Mozzarella, caramelized onions, and chopped hazelnuts.

4) Moroccan Pizza
Take left over lamb and shred. cover dough with layer of tomato sauce. Sprinkle cinnamon over sauce. Add lamb, mozzarella, and crumbled feta cheese

5) Pizza Verde
Use Pesto sauce, sliced chicken breast, and Italian sausage. Cover in fontina and mozzarella cheese.

Remember, the beer will flavor the dough, which may overpower the toppings. I use a lighter beer like Corona for most dough, but a stout or a porter can provide wonderfully rich flavor as well.