The fresh corn polenta in this dish is insanely delicious. I could eat it every meal of the day- so sweet, rich, and fabulous!! It would be lovely with absolutely any topping. It will be the only polenta I will ever make in sweet corn season. Worth every bit of effort. I hope I’m not overdoing my rave review!! 🙂
This dish was adapted from Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London’s Ottolenghi by Yotam Ottolenghi. I reduced the amount of oil in the eggplant sauce by half and extended the cooking time for the polenta. Such a special meal!
I’m bringing this one to share at Angie’s Fiesta Friday #78 co-hosted by Judi @Cooking with Aunt Juju and Petra @ Food Eat Love. Enjoy!
Yield: Serves 4
For the Eggplant Sauce:
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used coconut oil)
- 1 medium eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch dice
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup chopped peeled tomatoes (I used 14.5 oz diced canned tomatoes)
- 6 1/2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- Heat up the oil in a large saucepan and fry the eggplant on medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until nicely brown. Drain off as much oil as you can and discard it. (I decreased the oil and didn’t have excess oil to drain.)
- Add the tomato paste to the pan and stir with the eggplant. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the wine and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, 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.
For the Polenta:
- 6 ears of corn
- 2 1/4 cups water
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
- 7 ounces feta, crumbled
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- Remove the leaves and “silk” from each ear of corn, then chop off the pointed top and stalk. Use a sharp knife to shave off the kernels — 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. You want to have 1 1/4 pounds kernels.
- Place the kernels in a medium saucepan and barely cover them with the 2 1/4 cups water.
- Cook for 12 minutes on a low simmer. Use a slotted spoon to lift the kernels from the water and into a food processor; reserve the cooking liquid. (I used a Vitamix.) Process them for quite a few minutes, to break as much of the kernel case as possible. Add some of the cooking liquid if the mixture becomes too dry to process.
- Now return the corn paste to the pan with the cooking liquid and cook, while stirring, on low heat for 15 to 30 minutes, or until the mixture thickens to mashed potato consistency.
- 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.
- Divide the polenta among shallow bowls and spoon some warm eggplant sauce in the center.
One Year Ago:
Two Years Ago:
I love polenta! I’m so glad this recipe came out rich as well. Happy FF, and have a wonderful weekend! 😀
Using fresh corn is a must try for a polenta fan. 🙂 It was really fabulous! Have a great weekend too!
Yum!
SO good. 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Sounds absolutely wonderful!
Thank you, Yana! It was a very special dish. 🙂
So good!
Thanks, Elaine! Happy FF! 🙂
This looks so good, making me very hungry right now!
Me too!! 😉 Have a great weekend!
A beautiful dish! I love polenta but never tried it with corn like this. plus topped with that beautiful eggplant sauce? YUM!
Happy Fiesta Friday! 🙂
Thank you, Dini! I’d never had fresh corn polenta either- what an eye opener!! 😉 Have a great weekend!
This looks very appetizing! You always have such wonderful recipes …I have nominated you for the Real Neat Blog Award. If you would like to accept, you can find the information here: http://wp.me/p4bcab-1vP Happy Fiesta Friday! 🙂
Thank you SO much, Arlene!! ❤ Happy Fiesta Friday & hope you have a wonderful weekend!
This sounds divine! I can’t wait to make it myself. I love polenta, and I’m sure the sweet corn gives it the best flavor and texture. I also have a bunch of eggplant just waiting on my counter to be cooked into something scrumptious. Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
A bunch of eggplant waiting!?!? You need this one! 😉 Hope you enjoy it. 🙂
This looks so good. And I am harvesting eggplant everyday! I will be cooking this up next week! Thanks for the recipe! Would you mind if I post a link on my blog after we try it?
Marcey
Thank you!! I would love it if you linked it on your blog! 🙂 Hope you enjoy it- it was AMAZING!! 🙂
Thanks!
I just happen to have this cookbook and love so many of his recipes. Using fresh corn in any dish always makes it special. Thanks for sharing with FF!
Thanks, Judi! Thanks for co-hosting this week too- hope you have a wonderful weekend. 🙂
Josette I love polenta 🙂 love having it for breakfast with sliced tomatoes and a poached egg, my favorite breakfast ever!! 🙂
Yummy! Scrambled eggs & grits (basically polenta) is such a popular breakfast in the South. Your tomato & poached egg polenta sounds like a delicious upscale version. 🙂
Love the look of this dish and your description. I’m a big fan of Ottolenghi.
Thank you so much! 🙂
Being Italian I’m very used to cook polenta…. I can easily understand you when you say that it is delicious! Polenta is one of my preferred comfort food, both when I’m in great shape, and when I’m sick. I’ve never tried polenta with eggplants… I have to catch-up!
I love that you said polenta is your preferred comfort food in sickness & health. 🙂 So good!!
Sadly, my husband won’t eat eggplant, but this dish looks wonderful. And you kept the eggplant looking beautiful, which is really a trick. Sometimes it can end up looking like a brown blob!
Thanks, Mimi. This polenta would be delicious with another topping! Sorry to hear about your eggplant issue… husbands! 😉
☺ .
I love the flavors Ottolenghi uses, and that fresh corn polenta is making me really tempted as I am normally a bit so-so on whether I like it, but can see that being delicious. Definitely pinned to try!
So-so on polenta!?!? This fresh corn version will absolutely win you over- I REALLY hope that you give it a try! Thanks, Caroline!
Polenta is one of my favorites ever since Pete and I spent time in Italy…..but it is seldom on restaurant menus and I’ve never attempted make it…you’ve inspired me…I’m going to put this on my hit list to make. I love that it is a meat free meal!!!!
Yay!! This is ultra-special polenta… you HAVE to try it!! Thanks, my friend. 🙂
Great post
Thank you so much! It is really a wonderful dish. 🙂