Technorati Profile
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Silky Pan Friend Polenta in Truffle Oil
Mood:
Silky
Cost:
Cheap
Difficulty:
Not so Easy
Rating:
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An easy, versatile side dish that some may think is "exotic." It can be served like mashed potatoes or, as in this case, a solid shape.
Time To Cook:
• Novice cook: Check cooking times on polenta and add 1 and a half hour
• Experienced cook: Shave 10 minutes off
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What is polenta? It's the Italian version of grits, but sounds and tastes much sexier. It's ground yellow cornmeal that can be cooked with stock or water and flavored with aromatics (such as onions), herbs (such as garlic), and topped with cheese. Polenta may be eaten fresh out of the pot, as a perfect accompaniment to stews. Polenta may also be poured into a greased pan and allowed to set. It is then sliced, sautéed, and topped with cheese, tomato sauce or served plain with salt and pepper. It�s a great bed for meats and poultry.
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• 1 package of polenta (Not pre-cooked in a roll)
• Water
• Salt and pepper
• Canola oil
• Truffle-infused oil (which you can get at Trader Joe�s or a gourmet market)
• Cooking spray
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• Medium stock pot
• Whisk
• Greased cookie sheet or glass casserole
• Non-stick skillet
• Rubber spatula
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1) Follow the instructions on the polenta package. Bring water to a boil in the stock pot and very slowly pour in the polenta, stirring constantly with your whisk. Some polenta is instant stuff which only takes a few minutes. Other polenta takes anywhere from 20-40 minutes. Read the directions on the packaging and you will be just fine.
2) After the polenta is cooked, pour out the mixture and spread it evenly on the cookie sheet using a rubber spatula. Make sure to smooth it out. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for one hour.
3) To create round pieces of polenta, use a pint glass as a cookie-cutter. Turn the glass upside-down, (so that the side you drink out of is touching the polenta) and carefully press the rim into the polenta sheet. Gently separate the circles you cut out.
4) Heat up some canola oil and a wee bit of olive oil infused with truffles and fry your polenta rounds on medium high for five minutes, each side. Transfer to a plate and pat with a paper towel to remove excess oil. Salt and pepper to taste.
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