Ham Pea Polenta Cakes Recipes

Steps:

• In a saucepan combine the milk, water, bay and cayenne. Bring the mixture to a boil over low heat and season generously with salt. Take the seasoning to the edge of too salty. To do this you MUST taste as you go. Polenta acts as a salt eraser, if you don't season abundantly here you will never recover from it.
• Once the liquid is at a boil and is seasoned appropriately, sprinkle in the polenta whisking constantly. Once the polenta is combined switch over to a wooden spoon and stir frequently until the polenta has become thick. Taste the polenta to see if it has cooked through. If it still feels mealy and grainy, add some more milk or water and cook it to a thick consistency. Repeat this process, as needed, until the polenta feels smooth on your tongue, about 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the chopped sage and mascarpone.
• Line a 7 by 7-inch square pan with plastic wrap. Pour the polenta into the prepared pan. Cover the top with more plastic smoothed onto the surface of the polenta. Chill in the refrigerator until needed. (All of this can totally be done ahead of time, like yesterday! Cool!)
• When ready to use, remove the polenta from the pan and cut into desired shapes. Coat a nonstick saute pan with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot and starting to smoke just a little, add the polenta shapes. Cook the polenta on both sides and finish by sprinkling with a little bit grated Parmigiano. Transfer to a serving platter and serve while hot.
• What a corncake!!!!

Steps:

• Heat the oil in sauce pot over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook until crisp, 5 minutes then remove to a plate. Add the liquids to the sauce pot and bring to boil. Whisk polenta into the liquid and continue to whisk 2 to 3 minutes to thicken. Season with salt and pepper and stir in peas to heat through 1 minute more. Remove from heat, stir in cheese and adjust seasoning. Garnish with pancetta.

Steps:

• Position a rack about 6-inches from the broiler and preheat to high. Cut the polenta into 8 squares and transfer to a sheet pan. Pat dry with a paper towel and lightly brush with olive oil. Broil until tops are browned, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from oven.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the garlic and pepper flakes, stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Put the spinach in the pan and season with salt, cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Reserve pan.
• Divide the wilted spinach among each polenta square. Divide slices of the meat on top of the spinach and top each square with the cheese. Place under the broiler until cheese melts and just begins to brown, another 4 minutes.
• Heat the sauce in the skillet used for the spinach. Ladle some sauce onto each of 4 plates. Place 2 polenta cakes in the middle of each plate and serve.
• Put the broth and milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the polenta, reduce the heat to low, and cook, whisking occasionally, until the polenta is thick and creamy, about 15 minutes.
• Pull the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the cheese, butter, salt, and pepper. Pour into a baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Melt butter in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until softened but not browned, stirring frequently.
• Add whipping cream and Parmesan cheese; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 2 to 4 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.
• Arrange polenta slices, overlapping and layering if necessary, in bottom of sprayed baking dish. Top with ham and Swiss cheese. Pour sauce over top.
• Bake at 425°F. for 20 to 25 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is lightly browned. Sprinkle with parsley.

Steps:

• Combine milk, 5 tablespoons butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat. Gradually whisked in cornmeal. Stir until mixture is very thick and beginning to pull away from sides of pan, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in ham, 3/4 cup cheese and egg. Transfer polenta to 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Dot with 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cheese. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover; refrigerate.)
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Bake polenta uncovered until heated through and beginning to brown on top, about 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Cut one long strip of parchment paper to line the sides of the pan so that the paper reaches all the way around the pan with no gap at the seam, and stands about 3-inches high.
• Place 1 cup/200 grams of the sugar in a saucepan with just enough water to cover, stir well and place over medium heat. When sugar turns the color of maple syrup, take off the heat and add 2 tablespoons/35 grams of the butter. Swirl to incorporate and pour into the cake pan. Place the fruit flesh-side down in a single layer all over the caramel, cutting a few pieces smaller if necessary to make it all fit. You can cram the fruit; it will shrink as it cooks.
• Add almonds and polenta to a food processor and process until fine, then set aside in a large bowl with the flour, salt, baking powder and lemon zest. In the same food processor, cream the remaining butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, making sure each is emulsified before adding the next. Scrape the mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture and fold into the ingredients until smooth. Spoon the batter on top of the fruit and even out the top. Bake for about 2 hours, or until the the top is golden in color, crackled and firm to the touch. Set the cake pan on a rack to cool.
• Once the cake has completely cooled, loosen the sides with the tip of a knife and flip it over in one quick motion, directly onto a serving platter. Holding onto the upside down cake pan and the platter at the same time, shake and bump the pan a little, if necessary, to release the cake, before lifting the pan away. Gently peel away any parchment paper. Slice and serve as is, or with a little crème fraîche on the side.