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Baked Polenta with Sausage
(Polenta Cortina d'Ampezzo)
Polenta could easily be considered one of the original comfort foods. Soothing, filling and delicious, it provides a beautiful blank canvas for the layering of many other flavors and textures. Traditional Italians have many strong beliefs about the proper way to cook polenta, consisting usually of:
- Always stir with a wooden spoon or stick - never metal
- Always stir in one direction only.
- Add the polenta to the boiling liquid a pioggia: "like a gentle rain".
- Cook polenta at least 1 1/2 hours to achieve the perfect result, stirring the entire time
While quicker methods exist, long-cooking is the classic method. In this baked version, the addition of eggs allows the polenta to slightly puff up while baking. It becomes similar to a spoon bread in texture and is fabulous topped with your favorite red sauce. Served with a green salad, hearty loaf of bread and a Merlot or Chianti wine, this makes an ideal simple mid-week supper. If
you do not wish to go to the trouble of following the classic polenta procedure described below, use an instant polenta and follow the package instructions. It won't be quite the same, but will still be excellent. This makes a great brunch dish, also, and the entire dish can be made hours or 1-2 days ahead. Bring to room temperature and bake when ready. |
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Ingredients |
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2 |
tbsp. olive oil |
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1 |
lb. Isernio's Italian sausage - Mild, Hot or Chicken |
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2 |
quarts chicken stock |
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1 |
tsp. salt |
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1 |
lb. polenta, preferably coarse-ground |
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3 |
eggs, whole |
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To Taste |
salt and freshly ground pepper |
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1/2 |
cup (2 ozs. wt.) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated |
Method |
 Remove
the sausage from the casings, crumble and cook in
a sauté pan with the olive oil, over moderate heat,
until the sausage is browned. Drain sausage and reserve
both the meat and the fat. Set aside and keep warm. |
| Bring
the chicken stock to a boil using a sturdy kettle
that you don't have to hold: you must have both hands
free.
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| Add
the salt. With your left hand, start pouring the polenta
into the boiling water while you start stirring with
your right hand. Pour as slowly as possible (a
pioggia: like a gentle rain) and stir as
rapidly as possible, using a long wooden spoon or
stick. As the polenta thickens, you will stir more
slowly because the polenta requires a bit of strength! |
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30 minutes, the polenta should no longer cling to
the sides of the kettle and should seem thick enough
to eat. It isn't! It may be cooked but
it is not done. At this point, add a ladle
of boiling water and continue cooking. Purists say
that polenta should cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
We feel 1 hour suffices, even for the coarsest polenta.
For this recipe, we want to keep it a bit soft. |
| Add
the reserves sausage to the polenta and mix well.
Beat the eggs slightly in a separate bowl and add
them to the polenta-sausage mixture after you have
removed it from the heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. |
| Preheat
oven to 400˚. Pour half the fat into an ovenproof
bowl (preferably glazed earthenware). Pour the polenta
into it. Smooth the top with the blade of a knife
or the back of a spoon dipped in water. When the top
is level, pour the rest of the fat over it. |
| Top
with the grated Parmesan and bake for about 20 minutes,
or until the top is golden. Serve immediately.
Serves 6 |
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ISERNIO'S
5600 Seventh Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98108
Tel.: (206) 762-6207 Toll-free: 1-888-495-8674
Fax: (206) 762-5259 Email: info@isernio.com
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