Cooking with Kerry: Polenta gratin
My mother had a notion that if she fed her brood of five a hearty, stick-to-the-ribs, irresistible-tasting dinner (no matter the occasion, irresistible aromas always wafted from our kitchen) on Halloween, we wouldn’t eat “too much” candy when we got home.
I never asked her how she measured “too much.” Unlike my classmates, I don’t recall ever having a tummyache the following day.
This recipe for polenta gratin defines comfort food and would be precisely the type of dish my mother would have chosen to serve on Halloween. Warning, this recipe is so well received your tasters will be requesting this any night of the year!
The pairing possibilities with this gratin are endless — sautéed tofu, fish, chicken, shellfish, beef and pork are delicious accompaniments. Fresh steamed seasonal greens or a tossed green salad round out the meal. If you have any leftover polenta, it makes a scrumptious breakfast or brunch side dish, complemented with poached or scrambled eggs. Sun dried tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, shredded carrots and herbs can be added to the gratin with rewarding, nutritious and colorful results.
Polenta is made from ground dried yellow or white cornmeal and is low-fat, gluten-free and cholesterol-free. Prepared polenta comes packaged in a tube and can be found in the refrigerated section of any grocery store. Recipe preparation tip: Allow pumpernickel bread slices to dry out before crushing.
Kerry’s polenta gratin
Two 16-ounce packages of polenta, coarsely chopped
(To prepare polenta, cut polenta tube in half lengthwise, cut each half into six strips and coarsely chop strips)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1⁄3 cup fresh parsley, minced
2 eggs
2 1⁄2 cups half and half
1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1⁄2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 sandwich size slices pumpernickel bread, crushed (a rolling pin works perfectly to crush bread)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chopped polenta in a 2-quart casserole dish; top with cheddar cheese and parsley. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs; add half and half and red pepper. Pour over polenta, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, top polenta with Parmesan cheese and crushed pumpernickel bread, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Serves six.
Nutritional analysis per slice: 530 calories, 30 grams total fat, 18 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 931 mgs cholesterol, 1,177 mgs sodium, 40 grams total carbohydrate, 3 grams dietary fiber, 25 grams protein and 1 gram sugar
What to pour?
For kids, fresh apple cider. For adults, an Italian white: Massone Masera Gavi 2007; $15
Catch Kerry Dunnington’s column in Body & Soul. She can be reached at [email protected].
