Braise your hands high
Apr. 10th, 2016 10:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe: Braised Leeks, Tomatoes, and Olives over Polenta.
3 Tbsp olive oil
6 medium leeks, trimmed and split lengthwise (We had two large leeks that were mostly greens, so I supplemented with frozen whole pearl onions.)
2/3 cup red wine
1 28-oz can pureed tomatoes
8 garlic cloves (Ha! I used... more.)
2/3 cup Nicoise olives
8 sprigs thyme
4 bay leaves
salt & pepper
2 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups milk (I used 2)
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking polenta (I don't have any of this. I used about 1 cup coarsely ground heirloom corn meal, and 1/2 cup regular corn meal.)
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
(Moved from later in the recipe, because the corn meal takes longer to cook to polenta) Pour milk and water into a medium pot and season with salt. Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Slowly pour in polenta, whisking constantly to incorporate. Simmer polenta until smooth,3-5 minutes about 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 350. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add leeks in a single, well-spaced layer. Sear until lightly browned all over, about 4 minutes total. Pour in wine and simmer until it thickens and clings to leeks, about 2 minutes.
Transfer everything to a baking dish large enough to hold leeks in a single, snug layer. Cover with tomatoes, garlic, olives, thyme, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until fork tender and sauce thickens and darkens in color, about25 minutes 40 minutes.
To serve, distribute polenta among 4-6 plates and top with braised leeks and sauce.
What worked: This was quite good and despite reading as complicated, was pretty easy. The emergency addition of pearl onions was a good suggestion from the wife that kept the onion feel without distracting. It was also pretty - the polenta thickened in a pool as it cooled, and the sauce over the top was a nice presentation.
Unsurprisingly in retrospect, using even 1% milk in the polenta liquid made it creamier.
What didn't: I should have poured out all the polenta into the leftover Tupperwares, because it set as it cooled and had to be chipped out which is less attractive. (It'll be fine when nuked at work.) It took longer for the sauce to thicken as noted.
Will I make it again? Yes, this will go into the rotation.
3 Tbsp olive oil
6 medium leeks, trimmed and split lengthwise (We had two large leeks that were mostly greens, so I supplemented with frozen whole pearl onions.)
2/3 cup red wine
1 28-oz can pureed tomatoes
8 garlic cloves (Ha! I used... more.)
2/3 cup Nicoise olives
8 sprigs thyme
4 bay leaves
salt & pepper
2 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups milk (I used 2)
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking polenta (I don't have any of this. I used about 1 cup coarsely ground heirloom corn meal, and 1/2 cup regular corn meal.)
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
(Moved from later in the recipe, because the corn meal takes longer to cook to polenta) Pour milk and water into a medium pot and season with salt. Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Slowly pour in polenta, whisking constantly to incorporate. Simmer polenta until smooth,
Heat oven to 350. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add leeks in a single, well-spaced layer. Sear until lightly browned all over, about 4 minutes total. Pour in wine and simmer until it thickens and clings to leeks, about 2 minutes.
Transfer everything to a baking dish large enough to hold leeks in a single, snug layer. Cover with tomatoes, garlic, olives, thyme, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until fork tender and sauce thickens and darkens in color, about
To serve, distribute polenta among 4-6 plates and top with braised leeks and sauce.
What worked: This was quite good and despite reading as complicated, was pretty easy. The emergency addition of pearl onions was a good suggestion from the wife that kept the onion feel without distracting. It was also pretty - the polenta thickened in a pool as it cooled, and the sauce over the top was a nice presentation.
Unsurprisingly in retrospect, using even 1% milk in the polenta liquid made it creamier.
What didn't: I should have poured out all the polenta into the leftover Tupperwares, because it set as it cooled and had to be chipped out which is less attractive. (It'll be fine when nuked at work.) It took longer for the sauce to thicken as noted.
Will I make it again? Yes, this will go into the rotation.
