Sage Polenta Recipes

SAGE POLENTA

Steps:

• In a large nonstick saucepan, saute the onion, red pepper and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in water and milk; bring to a boil over medium heat. Gradually whisk in cornmeal, whisking constantly to prevent lumping. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until cornmeal is tender. , Stir in the Parmesan cheese, sage, salt and pepper. Spread into a 13-in. x 9-in. pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes or until firm., Cut into 12 squares. In a large nonstick skillet, cook polenta in batches in oil over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

SAGE POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat, then add 2 teaspoons salt. Whisking constantly, add polenta in a slow, steady stream and return to a boil. Reduce heat to a very low simmer. Cover partially; cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is creamy and starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 40 minutes, adding sage in last 5 minutes. If polenta is too thick to stir, add more water (up to 1/2 cup), a little at a time, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat. Stir in butter, and season with pepper and more salt, as desired. Serve hot.

BRISKET SUPPER WITH MUSHROOM-SAGE POLENTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Season the meat liberally with salt and pepper. Add a couple of tablespoons olive oil to a large Dutch oven, a couple of turns of the pan, and heat over medium-high heat. Add the meat and brown all over, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan and drain off meat fat if any accumulates. Add another turn or 2 of the pan with extra-virgin olive oil. Add onions, garlic, bay and season with salt and pepper, cook to tender 8 to 10 minutes, add in a few pinches cloves and stir in the tomato paste 1 minute. Next stir in the wine and deglaze the pan, then add the stock and canned diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Settle the meat back into the pot and cover. Bake 1 1/2 hours, then uncover and bake 1 hour to reduce the liquids, then place the cover back on and cook until very tender, 1 1/2 hours more.
• Remove the brisket to the carving board and cover with foil to keep warm.
• Reduce the sauce a few minutes, simmering gently, uncovered to thicken a bit.
• Heat 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat and add garlic and mushrooms, cooking until very tender, season with salt and pepper and stir in sage. Bring the stock-milk mixture to a boil in a saucepot and add the polenta. Whisk the polenta 2 to 3 minutes until it pulls away from the side of the pot. Add the butter, if using and fold in mushrooms.
• Slice the brisket and serve with sauce over polenta with mushrooms. Cool half of the brisket and store for later in the week. Scatter a few bitter greens over the top for an optional garnish.

SQUAB WITH YOUNG MORELS, ROAST GARLIC AND SAGE POLENTA

Steps:

• In small sauce pan saute shallots and chopped garlic in oil. Once they are soft, but not brown, transfer to a one-pint measuring cup. Add wine, bay leaves, thyme and peppercorns. In a nonreactive baking dish place squab, breast down, along bottom. Pour shallot marinade oven squab, cover, and refrigerate overnight. In a preheated 375 degree oven, place squab, breast-side up in baking dish. Discard marinade. Roast squab for 40 - 50 minutes, or until juices of breast meat turn clear when you poke with a fork. Serve with roasted garlic and polenta.
• For the Roast Garlic and Sage Polenta: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In bowl toss garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Wrap loosely in aluminum foil and roast in oven for 30 minutes. Remove and let cool. Peel cloves. In large saucepan add chicken broth and garlic. Bring to a boil and let simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside, preferably overnight. Remove garlic from broth, set aside, and bring broth to a boil. Slowly add the cornmeal, whisking constantly until fully incorporated, and mixture thickens. Lower heat and cook polenta for 20 minutes, stirring periodically. Add butter, creme fraiche, sage, salt, and pepper just before serving. Stir well to incorporate. In large saute pan saute morels in remaining oil over a high heat. Serve with squab.

QUICK POLENTA ROUNDS WITH SAGE BUTTER AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Spray or spread cooking oil on the bottom and sides of a broiler-safe baking dish.
• Cut polenta in 1/4" thick disks. Place these disks on the bottom of the greased baking dish, overlapping them slightly so that there is no space in between disks.
• Sprinkle cheese evenly across the polenta.
• In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add olive oil. When the butter/oil mixture is fully heated, immediately add sage, stirring constantly. Cook for no more than 30 seconds.
• Add chopped garlic and sauté very briefly, until garlic starts to perfume the oil but has not yet browned. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from heat and drizzle over polenta.
• Broil for 3-5 minutes.

POLENTA WITH FRESH CORN AND SAGE

Steps:

• Bring stock to a simmer in a heavy saucepan. Add cornmeal slowly in thin stream, stirring constantly.
• Cook, stirring, for about five minutes, then fold in the remaining ingredients. Cook 5 to 10 minutes longer, until the mixture has thickened but is not stiff. Serve at once.

CRISPY POLENTA WITH SAGE AND SMOKED GOUDA

Steps:

• Bring water and salt to a boil in a saucepan; slowly stir in corn meal. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook and stir until corn meal absorbs all the water, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 2 tablespoons butter, sage, and rosemary. Add Gouda cheese; stir to incorporate.
• Pour polenta into a pie plate. Refrigerate until solid and chilled, about 1 hour. Cut polenta into wedges or squares.
• Heat 2 teaspoons butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook polenta pieces until crispy and warmed through, about 5 minutes per side.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH BACON AND SAGE

Steps:

• Place a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the bacon, and cook until crisp and golden, about 8 minutes. Remove bacon from saucepan; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Set aside.
• Add chopped sage to saucepan, and cook in the bacon fat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add milk, and bring to a boil.
• Add the polenta in a steady stream, whisking constantly until it is smooth and creamy, about 6 minutes. Whisk in the butter, and season with the salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl, and crumble the reserved bacon on top. Heat the olive oil, in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the whole sage leaves, and fry until crisp, about 30 seconds. Remove from the skillet, and scatter over the polenta.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH ROASTED CORN AND FRESH SAGE

Steps:

• Grill corn in the husks, or roast in the oven; cut kernels from cob.
• In a heavy 4-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Stir in garlic and onions; reduce heat to low and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in water and milk and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Slowly stir in cornmeal, whisking thoroughly. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking and burning. Season with salt and pepper; simmer 15 minutes more.
• When mixture is thick and the cornmeal is tender, stir in corn, sage and Parmesan cheese. Transfer to a large bowl to serve.

PARMESAN SAGE POLENTA STICKS

Steps:

• Butter a 13- by 9-inch glass baking dish.
• In a large heavy saucepan bring water to a boil and add salt. Add sage and 1/3 cup cornmeal, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and add remaining cup cornmeal in a slow stream, stirring constantly. Cook mixture over low heat, whisking, 1 minute and remove pan from heat.
• Add 2 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup Parmesan and stir polenta until butter is incorporated. Working quickly, spread polenta evenly in prepared dish and chill until firm, about 20 minutes. Polenta may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• Preheat broiler and line a baking sheet with foil.
• In a small saucepan melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over low heat. Invert polenta onto a work surface. Halve polenta lengthwise and cut each half crosswise into 14 sticks. Arrange sticks on prepared baking sheet and brush with melted butter. Broil sticks about 4 inches from heat until golden, about 4 to 6 minutes. Turn sticks over and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Broil sticks until cheese is golden, about 2 to 3 minutes more.