Hard Polenta Cakes with Taleggio & Cherry Tomatoes
I love to make these for company because the polenta can be made WAY in advance. And you can top the cakes with almost anything—I like to use a nice stinky cheese, but after that really anything goes. Tomatoes give you a nice burst of sweetness, but dried fruit is fun, some fresh herbs, whatever you want! No matter how you top them, these corn cakes are little bites of melty, cheesy deliciousness.
Recipe information
Yield
serves: 8
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Combine the milk, 2 cups water, bay leaf, and cayenne in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil (BTB) and season generously with kosher salt. You want to take the seasoning to the edge of too salty in this case; to do this you MUST taste as you go! Polenta acts like a “salt eraser,” and if you don’t salt abundantly in this early step, you’ll never recover.
Step 2
When the liquid is boiling, gradually sprinkle in the polenta, whisking constantly. Once the polenta is combined, IMMEDIATELY switch to a wooden spoon and stir frequently until the polenta thickens; this will take 30 to 35 minutes. Taste the polenta to see if it’s cooked through; if it still feels mealy and grainy, add some more milk or water and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Repeat this process as needed until the polenta feels smooth on your tongue. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the mascarpone and Parmigiano; reserve.
Step 3
Line a 7-inch square pan with plastic wrap. Pour the polenta mixture into the prepared pan and cover with plastic, pressing down so the plastic sits on the surface of the polenta. Chill until set, at least 45 minutes. (All of this can totally be done ahead of time—like yesterday!)
Step 4
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Step 5
When the polenta is set, cut it into 1-inch squares. Put the squares on a baking sheet and top each with a piece of Taleggio.
Step 6
Put the cherry tomatoes on a separate baking sheet and toss them with olive oil. Bake both the polenta squares and the tomatoes for 10 minutes. The tomatoes should be hot, starting to relax, and getting a little squishy, and the Taleggio should be nicely melted.
Step 7
Put the polenta cakes on a serving dish, top each square with a cherry tomato half, and garnish each with a little sprinkey-dink of coarse sea salt and chives.
ANNE ALTERNATE
Step 8
If you’re not a stinky-cheese person, use whatever cheese you want—remember, you’re the chef of your own kitchen!
note
Step 9
Polenta starts to bubble like hot lava fields and if it gets on you it will stick and burn—so watch out!
