Fennel Polenta Food

HOW TO MAKE PERFECT POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan; pour polenta slowly into boiling water, whisking constantly until all polenta is stirred in and there are no lumps.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking often, until polenta starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Polenta mixture should still be slightly loose. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, whisking every 5 to 6 minutes. When polenta is too thick to whisk, stir with a wooden spoon. Polenta is done when texture is creamy and the individual grains are tender.
• Turn off heat and gently stir 2 tablespoons butter into polenta until butter partially melts; mix 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into polenta until cheese has melted. Cover and let stand 5 minutes to thicken; stir and taste for salt before transferring to a serving bowl. Top polenta with remaining 1 tablespoon butter and about 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnish.

FENNEL POLENTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place the fennel bulbs and water in a roasting pan on the lowest rack of the oven, roast about one hour, until very tender. Remove and allow to cool slightly. Chop coarsely, place in a food processor with two tablespoons of the milk and process until smooth. Set aside.
• In a large saucepan, combine the remaining milk, the stock, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is thick enough to allow the spoon to stand up in it, about 15 minutes. Stir in the fennel puree, the chopped fennel greens and the butter. Adjust seasonings.
• Line a baking pan 9 by 13 inches with parchment paper. Spread the polenta in the pan, smooth the surface and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for four hours, until firm.
• Cut the polenta into three-inch squares. Invert the pan to unmold them, then refrigerate them until ready to cook. Reheat the polenta by sauteing it in butter in a nonstick skillet or brushing it with butter or oil and grilling or broiling the squares until they are lightly browned and heated through. Keep in a warm oven until all the squares are browned, then serve.

POLENTA WITH FENNEL, PEPPERS, TOMATOES AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Wash and trim the top branches and the bottom from the fennel. Slice the fennel bulb very thinly into rounds, and then slice the rounds into julienne strips.
• Heat a medium-large nonstick skillet until it is very hot; add oil, reduce heat and stir in the fennel, cooking until fennel begins to brown and soften.
• Wash, trim, seed and thinly slice the peppers, and cut slices into small pieces; add to fennel, and continue to saute over medium heat.
• Wash, trim and cut up tomatoes; add to vegetables when peppers have begun to soften.
• Pit and cut up olives, and add. Cover the pot; reduce heat to simmer, and continue to cook until the vegetables are tender.
• In covered pot, boil stock.
• Grate cheese.
• Slowly stir polenta into boiling stock, reduce heat to medium-high and cook until mixture thickens, just a couple of minutes.
• When polenta is cooked, stir in the cheese, season with salt and pepper, and top with the vegetables.

GRILLED POLENTA AND VEGGIES

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for indirect heat: For gas, preheat to medium high, then turn off the burners on one side and turn the other burners to medium low. For charcoal, once the coals ash over, push them to one side.
• Mix the olive oil, herbs, coriander, 1 teaspoon pepper and a handful of fennel fronds in a small bowl.
• Brush the fennel wedges and broccoli with the herb oil and season with salt. Cook on the cooler side of the grill, turning once, until marked and tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove to a platter. Meanwhile, brush the oranges, tomatoes, mushrooms and radicchio with the herb oil and season with salt. Grill over direct heat, turning once, until marked and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add to the platter.
• Brush the polenta and haloumi with the herb oil and grill over direct heat, turning once, until marked, 5 to 10 minutes. Add to the platter. Season with salt and drizzle with any remaining herb oil.

SAUSAGE AND FENNEL RAGOUT WITH CREAMY POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO. Add the sausage, breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon, and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the red onions, fennel, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes, or until the veggies wilt and the onions become translucent. While the veggies are cooking, start the polenta.
• In a sauce pot combine 2 1/2 cups of the chicken stock and 1 cup of milk. Season the liquid with salt and pepper. Place over medium-high heat and bring up to a simmer.
• Once the veggies have wilted, add the white wine and the remaining 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock to the skillet. Turn the heat to high and bring up to a simmer. Cook to reduce the liquids by half, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley.
• To the simmering chicken stock and milk add the polenta and whisk constantly until the cornmeal masses together. It's so cool how fast this happens-right before your eyes! Add the butter and grated cheese, stirring to combine. Keep in mind that polenta is very forgiving; if it becomes too thick, you can always add more warm chicken stock or milk.
• Serve the polenta in a shallow bowl and top with a helping of the sausage and fennel ragout. Garnish with more grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
• Buy stock or broth in aseptic boxes rather than cans. They might cost a little more, but the stocks especially have great slow-cooked flavor that really makes fast-cooked food taste rich. Plus, whatever you don't use can go directly into the refrigerator, without having to transfer it from a can. If I know I am not going to use my remaining stock within the next few days, I will transfer it to a resealable plastic bag and freeze it flat. (I have had a small revolution of freezer storage space since embracing the freezing of things flat.)

FENNEL, BORLOTTI BEAN AND POLENTA BAKE

Steps:

• First cook the polenta:.
• Place water in large saucepan and bring to the boil. Mix the dry polenta with sage, parsley and parmesan. Gradually add this dry mix to the boiling water, whisking all the time to prevent lumps.
• Lower the heat and simmer stirring frequently and cook for 10-15 minutes until the mixture thickens.
• Spoon the polenta into a lined baking tray, flattening it with the back of a spoon to create a layer that is 2 cm deep. Place this tray in the fridge or cold place whilst you prepare the rest of the bake.
• Heat low fat cooking spray in a large frying pan and add the onions, garlic and fennel and cook for 10 minutes add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Transfer mixture into a shallow baking dish. Cut the polenta into small triangles and arrange these on top of the veg. Sprinkle with a little more parmesan and bake in preheated oven at gas mark 4 until golden.

GREEN BEAN, CARROT AND FENNEL POLENTA

Steps:

• Shred the carrot with a grater and chop the fennel. Cook them together in olive oil at medium heat in a large saucepan.
• While vegetables cook, boil water and salt in a medium pot and add polenta when water is boiling hard. Stir until it is thick and remove pot from heat. Pour into a small greased glass baking dish and spread evenly. Set aside somewhere warm for 10 minutes (or remainder of cooking time for vegetables).
• When fennel and carrot begin to get tender, add onion, green beans, and spices (except for lime juice). Cook until tender (even lightly browned at the edges).
• Add lime juice and remove from heat.
• Spread vegetable mixture evenly over cornmeal and heat at 400 for 5-10 minutes, or serve both side by side. Enjoy!