Monday, January 11, 2010

A Good Evening - Creamy Gorgonzola Polenta

It would be blasphemy. Truly. To call polenta the new "mashed potatoes" would be true and absolute treason. I could never do it. I would never forsake my favorite food of all time. There's just nothing else like them, nothing else that goes so perfectly well with everything from chicken, to roast to, well, whatever else you'd like to pair with it. Me? I just like a straight bowl with some butter a salt. Preferably first thing in the morning.

Mashed potatoes: Breakfast of Champions.

But. I hereby acknowledge polenta to be a runner-up in the comfort food challenge. Especially when you add cream and gorgonzola and serve it with the Cabernet Braised Short Ribs.

Hot dog! That is delicious.

I've actually been taking to making this polenta on it's own now. Tuesday evening was a cozy affair. Me, curled up in my overstuffed armchair with a bowl of this polenta with a blanket around me, the heat turned up and the newest installment of my favorite guilty (horrible) pleasure "The Bachelor: On the Wings of Love." (btw, if you watch this sociological nightmare, I offer an escape for you: I hereby make the outrageous claim to know how this season ends. Care to know? Email me and I'll share.)

Are you still with me? Now that I've shared such a deep, dark and secret love of such a terrible television show? I don't blame you if you stopped reason. It's horrible. I know it.

So there I was, in bad television, warm, comfort-food bliss. All in all, it was about as good as a Tuesday night can get. What can I say? I'm easy to please (though several ex-boyfriends might attest otherwise...)

The point is, this stuff is good. Delicious in fact. It's a cinch to make and it'll do in a mashed potatoes pinch. Served with the short-ribs, it's practically unbeatable. So without further ado...


Creamy Gorgonzola Polenta
serves 8
from Bon Appetit

5 cups Chicken Broth
1 3/4 cups Polenta
3/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola or other blue cheese
1/3 cup whipping cream

Bring the chicken broth to boil in a heavy bottomed pan. Gradually add the polenta, whisking as you go. Return the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the polenta is tender, stirring frequently and adding more broth if the polenta gets too thick. Cooking time is about 10 minutes all together. Add gorgonzola and cream, stir until the cheese has melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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