Venetian Style Polenta Cakes With Cavolini Di Bruxelles Recipes

HARD POLENTA CAKES

Steps:

• In a saucepan combine the milk, water, bay and cayenne. Bring the mixture to a boil over low heat and season generously with salt. Take the seasoning to the edge of too salty. To do this you MUST taste as you go. Polenta acts as a salt eraser, if you don't season abundantly here you will never recover from it.
• Once the liquid is at a boil and is seasoned appropriately, sprinkle in the polenta whisking constantly. Once the polenta is combined switch over to a wooden spoon and stir frequently until the polenta has become thick. Taste the polenta to see if it has cooked through. If it still feels mealy and grainy, add some more milk or water and cook it to a thick consistency. Repeat this process, as needed, until the polenta feels smooth on your tongue, about 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the chopped sage and mascarpone.
• Line a 7 by 7-inch square pan with plastic wrap. Pour the polenta into the prepared pan. Cover the top with more plastic smoothed onto the surface of the polenta. Chill in the refrigerator until needed. (All of this can totally be done ahead of time, like yesterday! Cool!)
• When ready to use, remove the polenta from the pan and cut into desired shapes. Coat a nonstick saute pan with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot and starting to smoke just a little, add the polenta shapes. Cook the polenta on both sides and finish by sprinkling with a little bit grated Parmigiano. Transfer to a serving platter and serve while hot.
• What a corncake!!!!

FRIED POLENTA CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a 1 to 1 1/2 quart oven-safe container, stir together water, salt, pepper, and polenta
• Add butter to the mixture, cut up in chunks.
• Place container, uncovered, in center rack of oven and bake 40 minutes.
• Open oven, pull out rack, add parmesan, and any other ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes, olives, lemon zest, herbs, shallots, cilantro etc. and let bake another 10 minutes.
• Pull out of oven and let rest in refrigerator 20 minutes to over-night.
• In frying pan, on medium-high, heat oil.
• Spoon about half a cup of polenta into the pan at a time, fry until golden brown on each side.
• Let cakes rest about 3-5 minutes and serve.

CARAMELIZED VEGETABLE AND POLENTA CAKE

Steps:

• Halve, brush with oil and bake the capsicums in a hot oven until blackened and blistered, then cool in a paper bag for about 20 minutes.
• Remove the skins and cut into thick slices.
• Heat the oil and fry the onion and garlic, stirring until the onion is soft and golden brown.
• Add the capsicums, sugar and vinegar and cook, stirring until caramelized.
• Remove from the heat.
• Bring the milk and stock to the boil.
• Stir in the polenta and cook stirring for about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the cream and cheese and pour into a greased and lined 22cm spring form pan.
• Put the capsicum mixture over the top and cook at 220c for 15 minutes.

SWEET OR SAVORY POLENTA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a baking dish with some of the melted butter.
• Combine polenta, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Whisk milk, eggs, and remaining melted butter together in a second bowl. Add flour mixture and briefly stir batter until well combined. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

QUINCE POLENTA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan.
• Place quince in a bowl and cover with fresh water; add lemon juice and set aside.
• Cream together eggs and cane sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed until pale. Add almond meal, polenta, yogurt, orange juice, orange zest, and baking powder and mix until just combined. Pour batter into the prepared cake pan.
• Drain the quince and top the batter with quince slices, pushing down slightly to make them fit.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Cover cake with aluminum foil and continue baking until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes more.
• Allow to cool about 30 minutes before topping with sliced almonds.