Conor Gadd’s soft polenta with pork fillet and salsa verde. Photograph: Ola O Smit/The Guardian. Food styling: Tamara Vos. Prop styling: Anna Wilkins. Food styling assistant: Florence Blair. Polenta is a miracle of versatility: boil the cornmeal, then cool, roast until crisp and top for an alternative take on […]
Click here to view original web page at www.theguardian.com
Polenta is a miracle of versatility: boil the cornmeal, then cool, roast until crisp and top for an alternative take on crostini canapes, or serve soft as a filling side to sit alongside lean roast meat dressed with a sharp green sauce
Whenever I’m writing menus for the colder months, my mind always wanders to one ingredient in particular: polenta. It has versatility in spades, from the rich, dairy-laden yellow version you get in the north of Italy to the lighter, white polenta of the south, and it really does cover all bases. As an ingredient, it’s cheap as they come and, while it can be a useful vehicle for other flavours, the new-season yellow polenta demands trust from its chef. Very little is needed to usher it from bag to plate, so it’s not only versatile in what it can be served with, but also in how it can be cooked.
Crisp polenta with parmesan and anchovy
Always try to buy organic, unprocessed cornmeal; it is far superior to the instant, processed variety, and offers a much more enjoyable texture and flavour. These work brilliantly as a starter or canape.
Prep 2 min
Cook 1 hr 10 min
Serves 3-4
200g polenta
Parmesan, to serve
Anchovy fillets in oil, drained, to serve
Bring 750ml water to a boil, then whisk in the polenta, reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan, for 45 minutes. Once the polenta is super thick (think cement), spoon it on to a flat roasting tray, spread out evenly and leave to cool.
Once the polenta is cold and set, break it into uneven pieces, then roast in a 240C (220C fan)/475F/gas 9 oven for 15-20 minutes, until crisp. To serve, grate lashings of parmesan over each shard of polenta and lay an anchovy fillet on top. Open a cold beer and tuck in.
Soft polenta with pork fillet and salsa verde
Prep 15 min
Marinate 12 hrs +
Cook 50 min
Serves 3-4
The polenta will already be full of goodness/fattiness, so it’s best to serve it with a lean cut of meat. Ideally, marinate the pork overnight.
For the polenta
200g polenta
50g unsalted butter
30g parmesan, grated
Salt and black pepper
For the salsa verde25g picked flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
25g picked mint, finely chopped
25g picked tarragon, finely chopped
10g capers, drained, rinsed and finely chopped
10g cornichons, drained and finely chopped
10g anchovy fillets in oil, drained and finely chopped
2 tbsp dijon mustard
10ml good olive oil
5ml red-wine vinegar
For the pork
600g pork fillet, trimmed
Oil, for fryingZest of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
5 sage leaves
In a bowl, combine the pork fillet, lemon zest, garlic and sage, then cover and put in the fridge overnight.
For the salsa verde, mix the herbs with the capers, cornichons, anchovies and mustard, then stir in the oil and vinegar until the mix comes together.
Bring 1.2 litres of water to a boil, then whisk in the polenta, reduce the heat and cook, stirring every couple of minutes so its consistency stays smooth, for 45 minutes, until thick.
Put a little oil in a heavy-based frying pan on a medium heat, then fry the pork fillet, turning every 90 seconds, for eight to 10 minutes, until it’s golden brown all over and cooked through. Leave to rest for three minutes.
Once the polenta is thick, glossy and unctuous, beat in the butter and the parmesan, and season. Keep whisking and, once the parmesan and butter have melted, use a hot spoon to dish up the polenta. As it hits the plate, it should recline as one does on an armchair after a long day.
Slice the pork, arrange it on top of the polenta and serve with the salsa verde spooned over the meat.
Conor Gadd is head chef of Trullo, London N1
