While I have been waiting to start my food blog/catering website, I have been working on several recipes. My Aunt Chrissy, darling woman who make beautiful cakes at Sweet Escapades in New York, asked me for a polenta recipe. I can’t think of a better time to start throwing some of my recipes into the world.
Caramelized Butternut Squash on Polenta Cake with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Makes: 6
preparing time:
polenta: 1 hour (for chilling)
cooking time:
Butternut squash: 30 minutes
Onions: 1 hour
polenta: 1 hour
Sauce: 40 minutes
Total time: 2 hours
Caramelized Butternut Squash
3 tablespoons olive oil
butternut squash, cut in 1 inch disks and peeled
½ white onion, sliced thinly
Polenta cakes
3 cups water
1 cup polenta
¼ olive oil
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
3 red peppers
4 garlic cloves
¼ leek (not necessary but delicious)
4 tablespoons coconut milk
salt
Turn your oven on to 425°. Place butternut squash disks at least ¼ inch apart in oiled baking pan and cover with aluminum foil or pan cover. Cook for 30 minutes. The bottom side should be slightly brown. In addition to roasting the butternut squash, you will be roasting the red peppers. Place them in a bit of oil in a covered baking pan. You will also cook these for 30 minutes or until slightly before charred.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on low and add the onions. Cook these for 1 hour or until slightly brown and caramelized. Keep the heat on low as to not burn them.
Boil 3 cups of water in a large saucepan. Add the polenta slowly (I used a funnel) while whisking the mixture. Once the polenta is added, reduce the heat to low and continue whisking. Whisk until the corn is cook through and the mixture has the consistency of thick grits (or porridge). This could take 30 minutes. Taste some of it to make sure there is no crunchiness to it. Spread the polenta in a baking or casserole dish making sure the polenta is approximately 1 ½ inches deep. If you dishes or too big for this, you could double your recipe and save the left over polenta for another meal. Let the polenta cool completely. This could take an hour.
Meanwhile, now would be a great time to make the roasted red pepper sauce. If you have a Vitamix, you can throw everything in but the stems (and any charred skin) and blend until smooth. If you are using a regular blender, douse the roasted red pepper in cold water promptly after removing them from the oven. This will ease the removal of the skins. Also remove the stems and seeds.
Once the polenta has cooled, it is time to start panfrying them. Cut out cakes with either a biscuit cutter or you can cut squares with a knife. Cover the bottom of the pan with oil at least 1/8 – ¼ inch deep and heat at medium low. Fry each side of the polenta cakes to a light brown.
Assemble the towers. Place the polenta on the plate. Next place one butternut squash disk. Drizzle a small ladleful of the roasted red pepper sauce on the butternut squash. Garnish with a heaping tablespoon of caramelized onions.
NOTE: Goes great with roasted leeks.
DOUBLE NOTE: If you made the double batch of polenta for future use, you can easily mold and remold the polenta to other shapes. Squish it in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. You can also pre-shape your cakes and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.