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Polenta Squares with 2 Toppings
This polenta recipe is prepared without dairy. If you prefer a
cheesy or cream flavor, you can use the
Cheese Polenta recipe or the
Creamy Polenta recipe.
What you need
- 1 cup organic polenta
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- 1 minced shallot
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 tbl minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbl minced fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1/4 cup diced
- roasted red pepper
- 1/3-1/2 cup diced bacon or pancetta
- 2 fennel bulbs, diced
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- 1 tbl minced fresh parsley
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- Olive Oil
How to make it
- Preheat the oven to 400º
- Sauté shallot over medium high heat
- Add broth and saffron and bring to a boil
- In a very thin stream, so you can see the individual grains,
add the polenta, whisking constantly
- Once the polenta has been added, reduce heat to medium-low and
stir with a wooden spoon constantly while the mixture thickens
- As the mixture cooks, you may reduce the heat to low - polenta
bubbles and spatters so don't stand too close
- The polenta is fully cooked when it pulls cleanly away from
the sides of the pan (often about 15-20 minutes)
- Pour the polenta into an oiled baking pan or onto a clean
board and allow to cool
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to proceed.
- On a sheet pan, place the clean cherry tomatoes with the
thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper
- Drizzle a little olive oil over the top and mix everything
together
- Roast in the oven until the tomato skins begin to pop -
approx. 10 minutes
- Remove and transfer mixture to a bowl
- While hot, add the grated garlic and diced red pepper - allow to cool
- Place bacon and fennel on a sheet pan with salt & pepper and
mix all together
- Roast in oven until bacon is crisp and fennel is very tender
- Remove and allow to cool
- Transfer mixture to a bowl and add lemon zest and parsley
- Remove polenta from refrigerator and cut into 1 1/2 inch
squares
- Spoon about 1 tbl tomato confit onto half the squares
- Spoon about 1 tbl fennel/bacon mixture onto remaining squares
- Serve at room temperature
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