Cheesy Fried Polenta with Balsamic Brussels Sprouts and Roasted Garlic Sage Oil
Indulge in a delectable feast with this mouthwatering dish! Cheesy Fried Polenta, paired with pan-roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts and aromatic Roasted Garlic Sage Oil, creates a symphony of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds.
Indulge in a delectable feast with this mouthwatering dish! Cheesy Fried Polenta, paired with pan-roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts and aromatic Roasted Garlic Sage Oil, creates a symphony of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 cups water
- 1 tablespoon honey
- pepper to taste
- polenta
- 1 1/4 cups polenta
- 1/2 pound brie shredded or cubed*
- 4 ounces blue cheese or parmesan cheese crumbled or grated (i used a mix of both)*
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter (sub coconut oil for vegan version)
- 2 cups flour (use gluten free flour if needed)
- pan roasted brussels sprouts
- 1 1/2 pounds brussels spouts halved
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
- arils from one pomegranate (optional)
- roasted garlic sage oil
- 4 cups olive oil
- 4 heads garlic
- 1 large bunch fresh sage
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon crushed red peper flakes
- Carbohydrate 56.3345102896609 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 39.4023972710242 g
- Fiber 2.86288399490608 g
- Protein 5.94136270918183 g
- Saturated Fat 5.37273206217492 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (568g)
- Sodium 49.1165382162418 mg
- Sugar 53.4716262947548 g
- Trans Fat 1.50677922385915 g
- Calories 598 calories
Step-by-step
- To make the polenta. Pour the water into a medium size saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and slowly whisk in the polenta. Cook, stirring frequently, until the polenta is soft and thick, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the brie, blue cheese or parmesan cheese, and butter, season with salt and pepper. Stir until the cheese is melted and the polenta is creamy and smooth.
- Grease an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish. Pour the hot polenta into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Let cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. To make the oil, slice the tops off the garlic and place the garlic cut side down in a 9x13 inch or slightly smaller baking dish. Pour the olive oil over the garlic. Add the sage, thyme and crushed red pepper. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until the garlic is caramelized and flavorful. Pour the oil through a fine mesh strainer. Store in a glass jar or glass container for up to 1 month. Save the roasted garlic for another cooking use (or uses!) and the sage for topping this dish.
- To make the brussels sprouts, heat a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil. Once hot add the brussels sprouts and cook, stirring occasionally, until sprouts are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the pine nuts and cook 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Reduce the heat and slowly pour in the balsamic vinegar, pomegranate juice and honey. Cook 2-3 minutes or until the balsamic glazes the brussels sprouts. Add the pomegranate arils and cook another minute. Remove from the heat, but keep warm.
- To fry the polenta, use a sharp knife and cut the polenta into 9 squares. Toss them gently with the flour, making sure all sides are coated in flour.
- Add the oil to a large pot and heat to 375 degree F. Add the polenta two at a time and fry, turning occasionally with a slotted spoon or tongs, until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
- To serve, divide the brussels sprouts among plates. Add a square of fried polenta. Top with sage, drizzle with roasted garlic oil. Eat immediately!
Chilled starches must be thoroughly coated in flour before entering 375 degree F oil to prevent the melting cheese inside from bursting through the crust. When cornmeal sets in the refrigerator for at least one hour, gelatinized starches recrystallize into a rigid block that can withstand slicing and high-heat frying without disintegrating. Whisking dry polenta slowly into boiling water prevents clumping by ensuring every starch granule hydrates evenly before the mixture thickens.
Pairing this rich, fried starch requires sharp acidity to cut through the heavy fats contributed by brie, blue cheese, and butter. Brussels sprouts reduction cooked with balsamic vinegar and pomegranate juice provides the exact malic and acetic acid profile needed to reset the palate between bites. Cook the sprouts until golden brown for 8 to 10 minutes in a hot skillet so Maillard reactions develop deep savory notes that match the fried corn crust.
Infusing four cups of olive oil with four heads of garlic at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes relies on slow heat transfer to soften harsh allium compounds without burning the sugars. Covering the baking dish tightly with foil traps steam, poaching the garlic cloves while simultaneously steeping the oil with fresh sage and thyme aromatics. Straining this finished oil yields a shelf-stable condiment that keeps for up to one month when stored properly in a sealed glass container.
Cooks often ruin fried polenta by skipping the flour coating or overcrowding the frying pot, which causes oil temperatures to drop and leaves the exterior soggy instead of crisp. Maintaining the frying temperature ensures the flour barrier crisps instantly, locking the melted dairy securely inside each square. Fry the squares two at a time to keep the thermal mass of the oil stable throughout the cooking process.
