Fresh Corn Polenta with Eggplant Sauce

Considering how many other outlets have shared or adapted this recipe—from the gorgeous, vegetarian collection Plenty (a must-have for veggie lovers) by famed London-based chef Yotam Ottolenghi—it feels a little like we’re jumping on the bandwagon here, but this really is one of those perfect recipes that deserves to be spread far and wide.  In honor of Meatless Monday, we consider it more of a public service.  This recipe perfectly traverses the bridge between summer and fall by using still abundant produce for a hearty, although not too heavy, dish that can easily serve as a filling lunch or an easy dinner to help warm you against the chill of late summer evenings.  The recipe is already gluten free and vegetarian, which we love, but given our penchant for streamlining recipes to accommodate home kitchens and busy schedules, as usual, some tinkering was in order.  We might even like this version a little better than the Ultra Creamy Polenta already in the archive.

Firstly, the amount of oil called for in frying the eggplant was reduced from 2/3 cup to 1/2 cup.  The extra wasn’t really necessary to give a proper fry, and it cut down on waste.  Also, rather than simply chopping the fresh tomatoes, they’ve been grated on the large hole side of a box grater—a trick we learned from those lovely Spaniards.  The skins were discarded, leaving behind nothing but sweet pulp with very little effort or fuss.

We also eliminated the white wine.  Shocking, we know.  We have smelling salts if you need them.  Sherry vinegar was used instead, as it imparted a complex, bright note to the sauce in less time.  In a pinch, white wine vinegar would work equally well.

 Also, to ramp up the flavor even further, the amount of oregano has been doubled and some crushed red pepper flakes were sprinkled in.  This would also be another fantastic use for za’atar, btw, whether in the sauce or as a final garnish.  Or both.

The polenta got a little streamlining, too.  The original preparation involved simmering the corn kernels in enough water to cover them completely, then straining them out, reserving the liquid, puréeing the kernels, adding the cooking liquid as necessary to achieve a mashed potato consistency, then returning the purée to the pan and cooking it down even further.  Are we alone in thinking that that sounds like a lot more work than is absolutely necessary?  We didn’t think so.

To start, we just reduced the amount of water, losing about a 1/4 cup right out of the gate.  Once the simmer was done, there was no need to strain the kernels.  The whole thing—liquid and all—went into the blender and got a thorough purée for longer than was originally called for.  Once it was returned to the pan, the temperature was turned up slightly to finish the cooking and speed up the reduction.  The end result is just as lush and lightly sweet as a proper polenta, finished with a little butter and crumbled feta cheese.

While the butter and cheese make this a little heavier than traditional summer fare, you can always reduce the amounts to lighten the dish (Seriously, though, why would you do that?!? First no wine, now less cheese and butter? Blasphemy.)  Should you opt for the lighter version, the dish won’t suffer, as the real flavor comes from the seasoning and the sauce, which is tangy and smoky with just the right amount of spice.  It provides a perfect counterpoint to the rich polenta, which boasts a slightly pungent tang and saltiness courtesy of the feta.  It is a matter of balance, after all.

As fantastic a vegetarian dish as this is, bear in mind that this delicious summer polenta would make an equally wonderful base for the Dijon Braised Short Ribs or the Chicken Meatballs.  Simple, flavorful and multi-functional, just the way we like it.  Enjoy!

Inspired by Plenty.

Fresh Corn Polenta with Eggplant Sauce

 

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Ingredients

• Eggplant Sauce
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into ¾-inch dice
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1 cup grated tomatoes (from about 3 medium tomatoes), skins discarded
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons water
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped oregano
• Dash red pepper flake
• Polenta
• 6 ears of corn, husked
• 2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons butter, diced
• 6 ounces feta, crumbled
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Black pepper

Instructions

1. For the Eggplant Sauce: Heat up the oil in a large saucepan and fry the eggplant on medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until brown. Drain off as much oil as you can
2. Add the tomato paste to the pan and stir with the eggplant. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the vinegar and cook for 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, 6 tablespoons water, salt, sugar and oregano and cook for a further 5 minutes to get a deep-flavored sauce. Set aside; warm it up when needed.
3. For the Fresh Corn Polenta: Use a sharp knife to shave the kernels off of the cobs -- either stand each ear upright on its base and shave downward, or lay each ear on its side on a cutting board to slice off the kernels.
4. Place the kernels in a medium saucepan and barely cover them with 2 cups of water. Cook for 12 minutes on a low simmer.
5. Pour the corn kernels and their cooking liquid into a blender. Process them for quite a few minutes, to break as much of the kernel case as possible.
6. Return the corn puree to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the mixture thickens to mashed potato consistency.
7. Fold in the butter, the feta, salt and some pepper and optionally cook for a further 2 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed.
8. To serve, spoon the polenta evenly into 4 bowls then top with the eggplant sauce.

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