Vegetable Stew with Fried Polenta

Fogo de Chao is one of my all time favorite restaurants. For anniversaries, graduation celebrations, and birthdays you'll find me and my family munching on an assortment of delectable Brazilian steakhouse specialties. While the tender meats and exotic fruits and vegetables are a treat in it of itself, I particularly enjoy the sides of fried polenta squares endlessly brought to the table. For those poor souls that may not have experienced the joys of polenta, it's essentially a thick and creamy Italian version of grits. It a luxurious side served hot and bubbly. However, like most foods, giving the polenta a quick pan fry only enhances the side dish. The polenta squares have a golden brown and crispy crust and a soft and fluffy center. While I could easily make a meal out of this polenta, I find my body appreciates a few vegetables along side the starch.

This afternoon I prepared a vegetable stew to serve atop a few squares of fried polenta. Oddly enough, even while on a diet, I can still gobble up a bowl full of this meal simply due to the fact that majority of this dish is a flavorful mix of vegetables! While polenta is traditionally Italian, the cornmeal mixture is honestly the perfect palette for any combination of flavors. I wanted to reach outside of my comfort zone and experiment with a few herbs that I do not traditionally cook with.

First, I whisked cornmeal into a pot of salted and boiling chicken stock, water, and a splash of cream. Be incredibly careful when combining the cornmeal with the hot liquid. It is imperative that you continually whisk the cornmeal to avoid any lumps. However, the polenta is prone to bubbling and spattering. Make sure you lower the heat when adding the cornmeal. You may even want to remove the pot from the heat to avoid succumbing to polenta injury. Additionally, I stirred a spoonful of cream cheese and a handful of pecorino romano cheese into the polenta. Finally, I poured the mix into a 13x9" pan and allowed the polenta to chill and set up.

In a large pan I sauteed eggplant, bell peppers, yellow squash, tomatoes, and garlic in a bit of olive oil. I seasoned the vegetables with rosemary, salt, pepper, and a few bay leaves. A splash of wine moistened the vegetables. I continued to cook the stew for another few hours until the vegetables were soft and the flavors had married.

I coated a cast iron skillet with a blend of canola and olive oil. I liked to use olive oil for the flavor and canola oil to stand up to the high heat. After removing the polenta from the fridge, I turned the loaf out onto a a large cutting board and sliced it into twenty equal squares. I dusted each polenta square lightly with corn starch I had seasoned with salt. Be sure that each polenta square is only just coated in the corn starch. As the starch doesn't offer much flavor, I am simply using it only to form a thin crispy layer on the surface of the polenta. I fried the squares in batches of four or five to keep from over-crowding the pan. In order to keep the squares warm, I kept the polenta on baking racks in an oven set to 200°F.

Finally, I finished the stew with a cup of frozen peas and splash of cream. I served the vegetables over a few squares of the polenta. The polenta was crispy and creamy and served as a delicious sponge to soak up the stewed vegetable juices. You could also look to serve a homemade bolognese meat sauce atop the polenta squares, or perhaps your family might prefer the vegetable stew over a scoop of rice or spaghetti noodles. Additionally, if you feel so compelled you could beef up the dish a bit and add pieces of pan seared chicken breast or sausage to the vegetable medley. This dish is easy to truly make your own and tailor to you taste preferences. You would really have to try hard to mess this one up!



Vegetable Stew with Fried Polenta

Ingredients:

for the Polenta

• 3 cups water
• 2 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup cream
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 3/4 cup corn meal
• 1 tbsp cream cheese
• 1/4 cup pecorino romano
• 3/4 cup corn starch
• olive oil and canola oil for pan frying

for the Stew

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 eggplant, chopped
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 3 yellow squash, sliced
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 dry bay leaves
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tbsp cream
• salt and pepper to taste

In a sauce pot, bring water, stock, cream and salt to a boil. Gradually whisk in cornmeal and continue to stir until the polenta thickens. Stir in cream cheese and pecorino. Pour polenta into a greased 13x9" pan. Allow polenta to set up and chill. 

In a deep pan, heat oil. Sautee all vegetables (except peas) and garlic. Add rosemary, bay leaves, and white wine. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer. Cook on low heat for at least one hour. Immediately before serving, add peas and cream. 

Turn polenta out onto a large cutting board. Slice into 20 to 24 equal squares. Lightly dust each square in cornstarch that has been seasoned with salt. Coat bottom of large cast iron skillet with olive oil and canola oil. Fry polenta squares in batches until each side is golden brown. Keep polenta warm on a wire rack in an oven set to 200°F. 

Serve vegetables over polenta squares.

Serves 5-6.