Add a touch of the Med to your cooking
Ingredients
- 200g quick-cook polenta
- 1 litre hot vegetable stock
- 2 medium courgettes
- 1 medium aubergine
- 2 tsp thyme leaves
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 75g Dolcelatte cheese
- 300g cherry tomatoes on the vine, divided into sprigs
- Salad leaves, to serve
Method
- 1. Put the polenta into a large saucepan, stir in the hot stock and season generously. Put over a medium heat and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until thick and less grainy. Spoon into a greased, oblong tin about 1cm deep. Smooth the top and cool until set.
- 2. Cut tops and bottoms off the courgettes and aubergine and run a potato peeler down the length of them to make long, thin ribbons. Put into a bowl with the thyme and drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil over it. Season and toss together.
- 3. Run a knife around the set polenta. Turn out and cut into 8 pieces. Heat a griddle pan and cook the polenta over a medium heat for 5 minutes, then turn over and cook for a further 5 minutes until golden. Set aside on a large baking sheet. Griddle the vegetables over a high heat (in batches) for 3-4 minutes, turning to colour evenly. Divide between the polenta, then crumble over the cheese and season.
- 4. Preheat the grill. Pop the tomato sprigs next to the polenta and drizzle with the remaining oil. Grill for 2 minutes, until the cheese has melted and some tomatoes have split. Serve 2 polenta slices and a tomato sprig per person, with salad leaves.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 361kcals, 17.4g fat (5g saturated), 11.5g protein, 42g carbs, 7.6g sugar, 1.1g salt
Chef's tip
As polenta can be bland, we’ve made it using vegetable stock and plenty of seasoning. You can also stir in a little butter or grated Parmesan at the end of cooking.
Wine Recommendation
The perfect partner is a light, unoaked Chardonnay from the north of Italy.