Sliced Confetti Polenta with Tomato/Prosciutto Sauce
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Cooking time: 4 3/4 hours...with a 3 1/2 hour break Cooking schedule: see below for "menu" instructions |
Long, slow cooking makes this beef melt-in-your-mouth tender. Long marinating time has it bursting with flavor. As long as I had to start the beef early I made this delightful Confetti Polenta for a starter to have with the rest of the sauce from last night. It's an easy dinner with everything but the Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Carrots done in advance. We'll 'fry' the rest of the Polenta tomorrow night with the soup.
Confetti Polenta with Tomato Prosciutto Sauce Time: 20 minutes done 2 hours earlier
With colorful, sautéed vegetables swirled through the polenta, this makes a pretty first course. It needs to be thoroughly chilled in order to slice well - and I used a sharp Chef's knife rather than a serrated bread knife. The serrated edge tore rather than sliced.
1 carrot
1 stalk (rib) celery
1/2 medium onion save the other half for the carrots
1 tsp olive oil
hand full spinach leaves, (2oz, 60gr)
7 - 10 olives, black or green I used 10 small black
1/2 cup polenta I used quick cooking
1 7/8 cups stock (2 cups minus 2 tbs)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
Finely chop onion, celery and carrot. Heat oil in nonstick skillet. Add carrot, onion and celery and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Slice olives. Using a scissors, cut the spinach leaves into fine strips. Heat stock in saucepan. When boiling, pour in polenta, whisking constantly - or it will have little volcanic eruptions spewing polenta all over your stove. Turn heat down and cook about 5 minutes (or whatever your package tells you), stirring constantly. You may have to switch to a wooden spoon. When done stir in cheese, vegetables and olives, distributing evenly. Lightly oil a bread pan, size doesn't matter. With a rubber spatula, scoop polenta into one end of the bread pan - tilt the pan and prop it so the polenta stays put. Smooth the top and exposed end. I ended up with a cube about 5 X 5 X 2 1/2 (12.5 X 12.5 X 6 cm). Cover with film and let cool.
To Serve: Gently reheat Tomato Prosciutto Sauce left from Friday. Slice half of the Polenta Loaf, 2 - 3 slices per person (1/3", 1 cm thick). Arrange nicely on a plate. Divide sauce and add to plate. Serve. Refrigerate remaining half of Polenta Loaf for tomorrow.
Beef Braised in Chianti Time: 4:40 hours broken into 3 stages Night before: 10 minutes
Afternoon of: 20 minutes
Braising time: 4 hours plus 10 minutes to finish
I love doing long-cooking, wine-infused, meat in the cool months. It's a wonderful way to get the most out of 'cheap cuts' and, usually it's the cheap, flavorful cuts that we want. They have the most flavor and get meltingly tender. I always plan for leftovers.
2 1/2 lb beef roast, chuck or rump
1 medium onion
1 carrot
1 stalk (rib) celery
2 bay (laurel) leaves
1 tbs juniper berries
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 bottle Chianti - a lesser version of what you want to drink, if possible
1 tbs olive oil
4 oz mushrooms I used oyster mushrooms
1 can whole tomatoes (15oz, 450gr)
3 tbs cornstarch dissolved in 3 tbs water or reserved marinade
The night before: Remove any big chunks of fat from beef. Put the beef into a bowl just large enough to hold it. Slice the onion, carrot and celery and add to beef. Add the bay leaves, juniper berries and peppercorns. Pour the red wine over, cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours. (24 or 36 is okay).
The afternoon of: 4 1/2 hours before dinner take the meat out of the marinade and let drain, reserving all of the marinade. Heat oil in the braising pot. Add beef and brown on both sides, about 15 minutes total. Strain the vegetables, reserving marinade. Add vegetables to the beef. Open and drain the tomatoes. Roughly chop the tomatoes and add to beef. Clean mushrooms. Roughly chop and add to beef. Add 1/2 of the reserved marinade, cover, reduce heat and let simmer, gently, for 4 hours. Check it periodically and add more reserved marinade as needed. It should almost cover the beef. I used all but about 1 cup.
Finishing: Remove beef from pan and keep warm. Strain vegetables, reserving wine/pan juices. Skim off any excess fat if you can (use a spoon or fat separator), then put juices in a saucepan. Heat juices to boiling. Slowly add cornstarch mixture to thicken. You probably won't need all of it so stop periodically and let it cook to test consistency. Remove bay leaves from vegetables and discard. Add reserved vegetables to saucepan and heat through. (You can put them through a food mill for a smooth sauce ...I didn't) Slice some of the beef and arrange on a platter. Spoon some sauce around the beef and serve, extra sauce on the side. Beef and sauce will be used for dinner on Monday.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes Time: 45 minutes
I always make enough to use in another meal - patties, or shepherd's Pie, or something....
4 - 5 medium potatoes, depending on size.
4 cloves garlic
1 tbs butter
1/4 cup milk or cream
1/2 tsp salt
Peel potatoes. Put potatoes in medium saucepan and add just enough water to cover. Add salt and cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat. When boiling (and pay attention or they will boil over) reduce heat and take cover partially off. Continue cooking until done, 20 - 25 minutes. They should be very done, easily coming apart when poked with a fork. When done, drain and put back on the heat 10 seconds or so to evaporate any excess moisture. Mash with a potato masher (or fork if you don't have one) Add enough of the garlic/milk mixture to get your desired consistency. If, after adding all of it, the potatoes are still too stiff just add more milk.
Garlic Milk
While potatoes are cooking mince or press the garlic. Heat butter in a small pan over medium-low heat. Sauté garlic until soft, being careful not to let it brown. When tender add the milk. Keep warm until ready to use in the potatoes.
Braised Carrots and Onions Time: 30 minutes
Roll cutting gives you interesting looking pieces with lots of surface. It can be used on any 'round' vegetable. The onions accent the sweetness of the carrots.
2 - 3 carrots depending on size and hunger
1/2 onion
1/3 cup chicken stock
1 tbs olive oil
Peel carrots and roll cut - that is cut the end off of the carrot at an angle, roll carrot 1/4 turn and cut next piece about 3/4 inch away at an angle, roll 1/4 and cut next piece, etc. Cut onion half in half again (vertically) and slice thickly - 1/4 inch (you will have 'quarter slices'). Heat oil in saucepan. Add onions and sauté until tender and starting to brown. Add carrots and stock. Cook, covered, 15 - 20 minutes or until vegetables are done. Remove cover, drain and serve.
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Cooking Schedule: 4 3/4 hours with 3 1/2 hour break The night before 10 minutes |
45 minutes before dinner 20 until eating starter |
Cooking for Two? Or more?
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