Polenta Rounds with warm Goat Cheese
Crostini di Polenta al Formaggio di Capra, a tasty little dish we once had as a first course in a restaurant in Poggibonsi south of Florence. The mild flavor of the polenta contrasts with the roasted peppers and the piquant taste of the slightly molten goat cheese. My original recipe asked you to cook the polenta from scratch and then let it set for two hours before you could cut it. Pre-cooked polenta in a tube, sold as Polenta Pronta or simply traditional polenta, does away with both. You slice it, you fry it and the dish comes together in under an hour.
Ingredients
- • 1 tube pre-cooked polenta, about 18 oz (510 g)
- • 1 small green pepper, seeded and quartered
- • 1 small red pepper, seeded and quartered
- • 1 small 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 3/8-inch (1 cm) rounds
- • olive oil for frying
- • salt and freshly ground pepper
- • salad greens to serve
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 30 minutes. Save the marinade when you take the peppers out. 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 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. They will sweat for about 10 minutes, which loosens the skins and makes them easy to pull off. Peel the peppers, cut them into 3/8-inch (1 cm) strips and set them aside on a paper towel.
Slice the polenta. Cut the tube into rounds a little under 1/2 inch (1 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.
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, sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese and top with a slice of goat cheese.
Melt and serve. 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 steams instead of browning. Cast iron gives the crispest crust. Give the rounds room and do not crowd the pan.
Jarred roasted peppers will do when you are short on time, though the flavor is flatter than peppers you char yourself.
Feta or a young pecorino work in place of the goat cheese if you want a different kind of tang.
To make the polenta from scratch, bring 2 1/2 cups (590 ml) water to a boil and add 3/4 cup (125 g) polenta in a stream, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Bring it back to a rapid boil, then lower the heat to a bare simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring so it does not burn or stick. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and taste for salt. Spread the polenta 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick on a lightly oiled tray, smooth the top with a spatula dipped in cold water and let it cool for at least 2 hours or overnight. Cut rounds with a 2 1/2-inch (6 cm) cookie cutter and pick the recipe up at step 4.
The rounds can be fried a few hours ahead and left at room temperature. Assemble and grill them just before serving.
Squares work as well as rounds and waste less polenta if you are cutting from a slab.
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