Well, I wasn’t planning on posting about this, just because it’s nothing new to me (at least the dish as a whole isn’t), but it’s a favorite of David’s, and I hear it received an enthusiastic thumbs-up from cherydactyl (David kindly shared his lunch when she left hers at home). Also, later that same day, I was saying how this new polenta recipe I used was slow-cooked in the oven, eliminating a lot of the mess (and the constant stirring) of the traditional method, which piqued boo‘s interest, so…
Baked Polenta with Sausage and Peppers
(This is a combo of two recipes–the sausage and peppers come from “Whole Grains–Every Day, Every Way” by Lorna Sass, and instead of following her basic recipe for polenta, I subbed in the recipe for creamy baked polenta from Cooks Illustrated’s “The Best Slow & Easy Recipes”. I can heartily recommend both books–they get a lot of use around my house, especially during the winter.)
Polenta:
7 cups water
Salt
1 1/2 cups polenta
2 oz. finely grated parmesan
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium clove garlic, minced (or more, if you like garlic a lot, like me)
Ground black pepper
Sausage and peppers:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. fresh Italian sausage
4 large bell peppers, cut into half-inch strips
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1 to 3 tsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated parmesan
Since the polenta takes a little while, start by heating your oven to 350 degrees, with a rack in the middle position. Boil the water in a Dutch oven over high heat, and stir in 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Slowly pour in the polenta, stirring “constantly in a circular motion with a wooden spoon” (the folks at Cooks Illustrated seem to think this is very important for keeping the polenta lump-free–given that I have yet to come across a bad recipe from them, I’ll take their word for it). Cover the pot, and bake for about an hour, stirring once, halfway through. When it’s done (it’s should be really yummy and creamy-looking, and all the water should be absorbed), stir in the parmesan, butter and garlic, adding salt and pepper if you think it needs it.
While that’s happily baking away in the oven, cook the sausage and peppers: heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and a tsp. or so of salt, stirring occasionally until it just starts to brown. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute. Add the sausage (removed from any casings), and break it up, cooking it until it’s browned as well. Dump in the peppers (including the pepper flakes, if you’re using them) and the tomatoes, and bring it all to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking until the peppers are tender and floppy. Just before serving, stir in the basil, and season to taste with the vinegar, salt and pepper. Spoon over the polenta and top with more grated parmesan if you like.
Coming soon: the franken-cookie experiment (as David calls it), and apple custard pie, as soon as I get around to turning all these CSA apples into applesauce (hopefully before they turn themselves into applesauce)…