Polenta Rounds with warm Goat Cheese
Crostini di Polenta al Formaggio di Capra, fried polenta rounds topped with marinated roasted peppers and the slightly molten goat cheese. A specialty of a little restaurant in Poggibonzi, Italy. Pre-cooked polenta in a tube, sold as Polenta Pronta, eliminates the long preparation of polenta in the traditional way. It is shelf-stable and can be kept under refrigeration but should not be frozen. It can be easily sliced, grilled or fried and comes together in under an hour.
Ingredients
- 1 tube pre-cooked polenta, about 16 oz (450 g)
- 1 medium green pepper, seeded and quartered
- 1 medium red pepper, seeded and quartered
- 1 medium yellow pepper, seeded and quartered
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 soft goat cheese log, about 6 oz (170 g), cut into 3/4-inch (2 cm) rounds
- olive oil for frying
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- salad greens to serve (optional)
Preparation
Marinate the peppers. Mix the balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil into a marinade. Put it in a bowl, add the pepper quarters and give them a stir. Let them marinate for at least 15 minutes. When you remove peppers from the marinade, let drip the excess. Save the marinade for later. You will need a little of it at the end.
Roast the peppers. Preheat the oven grill for 10 minutes. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and lay the pepper quarters side by side skin side up on it. Grill until the skins are charred and covered with black specks, about 10 minutes. Lift the foil off the tray and fold it into a package with the peppers inside. Let them sweat for about 10 minutes, which loosens the skins and makes them easy to pull off. Peel the peppers, cut them into 3/4-inch (2 cm) strips and set them aside on a paper towel.
Slice the pre-cooked polenta with a wet knife. Cut the tube into rounds a little under 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick. Pat both sides dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Fry the rounds. Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the polenta rounds until golden and crusty, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Add more olive oil as needed. Drain the rounds on paper towels. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and keep it warm.
Assemble. Preheat the oven grill for 10 minutes. Arrange the polenta rounds on a baking tray. Garnish each one with three or four strips of roasted pepper, and top it with a slice of goat cheese.
Put the tray under the grill and keep a close eye on it. The goat cheese should soften and start to melt, about 3 to 4 minutes. Take the rounds out, drizzle them with the reserved marinade and serve as an appetizer or with a green salad as a light lunch.
Notes
Chill the tube before slicing. Cold polenta cuts clean and holds its shape in the pan. Pat the rounds dry with paper towels before frying. Wet polenta will not brown. Cast iron gives the crispest crust. Do not crowd the pan.
Jarred roasted peppers can be used if you are short on time, though the flavor is flatter than peppers you char yourself.
Feta can be used in place of the goat cheese if you want a different kind of tang.
Polenta rounds can be fried a few hours ahead and left at room temperature. Assemble and grill them just before serving.
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