Polenta and Asparagus

Recipes: polenta, asparagus



Polenta--

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 sprig rosemary
1/2 cup polenta corn meal
Salt
Oil for frying

Method:
1. Combine the milk, cream, garlic and rosemary in a heavy bottomed pot on medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for a minute or two and then remove the rosemary and garlic from the milk. Slowly add the corn meal, a little at a time, stirring constantly, until it’s all in.
2. Reduce heat to low, and add a touch of salt. Keep stirring with a whisk or fork until the polenta thickens. Continue stirring for a bit longer. It will get really thick, and start to pull away from the pot.
3. Remove heat and spread the polenta out in a casserole dish, to between 1/2-inch or 1/4-inch thick. Cover and let cool. You can keep it refrigerated like this for up to two days.
4. Once chilled, use a cookie cutter to cut out rounds, or simply slice into triangles, and carefully separate.
5. Heat enough oil to just cover the bottom of a griddle or frying pan on medium-high heat. Just before the smoking point, add the polenta pieces. Fry on each side for about 1 minute to brown. Carefully remove, and drain on a paper towel. Repeat with the rest of the pieces.


Asparagus Gratin--

Ingredients:
1 bunch asparagus (1-2 pounds)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup coarsely grated Fontina
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup low-sodium broth (chicken or vegetable)

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F and put the rack in the middle position.
2. After rinsing the asparagus, snap off and discard the tough bottom ends of the asparagus spears. (They will naturally break at the right spot.) In a small bowl, toss together the bread crumbs, oil, Fontina and pepper. Set aside.
3. Arrange the asparagus in a casserole dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Pour the heavy cream and chicken stock over the mixture. Cover with foil and bake until tender, 14-18 minutes. Remove the asparagus from the oven and preheat the broiler.
4. Uncover the asparagus spears and sprinkle the bread crumb and cheese mixture over them. Broil, watching closely, until the mixture is brown and bubbly, 3-5 minutes.



I would recommend that you make the polenta before hand, then fry it up as you throw the asparagus in the oven. I also needed to cook the asparagus for about 20 minutes to get it as soft as I would like.

Looking back, it was a heavy meal. I think next time, I would grill the asparagus with olive oil and black pepper, then broil with the breadcrumbs and cheese to get the crust. I would make a cream and broth sauce and pour it over in the end. That would be lighter and then the sauce could also be used over the polenta.

Because I wasn't sure about the gratin sauce, I sauteed shallots and butter and added a touch of cream to pour over the polenta. It was good, but the method I described above would tie the whole meal together more compeletly, I think.

But, onto the meal--it was delicious. In my head I don't like asparagus, but I do like it. Even better with cheese! The polenta was pretty amazing, though I would add a few chili pepper flakes in the beginning to give it a little more...substance? Body? A bit of a kick. That would also help offset the creaminess (which I love, but in moderation).

I drank a few shandy lagers with it and it was the perfect meal for a night of Lost and the Office. I think it would make a great outside dinner party meal and I really want to try it again with my new ideas.

This could be gluten free, if you found glueten-free bread crumbs, were careful about the corn meal you picked out, and watched your broth.

Also, I love polenta.