Creamy Polenta with Fennel and Chickpeas
By Lan LamPublished on August 6, 2024
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
CREAMY POLENTA
4½ cups water 1 cup coarse-ground polenta 1 teaspoon table salt Pinch baking soda 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)Before You Begin
We developed this recipe with Bob's Red Mill yellow corn polenta. Coarse-ground grits also work well. Avoid quick-cooking or instant polenta or cornmeal. Look for a fennel bulb that measures 3½ to 4 inches in diameter and weighs around 1 pound with the stalks (12 to 14 ounces without); trim the base very lightly so that the bulb remains intact. Cannellini beans may be used in place of the chickpeas. Make the topping while the polenta cooks.
Instructions
- Bring water to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Whisk in polenta, salt, and baking soda. Bring mixture to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to lowest possible setting, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth, cover, and continue to cook until grains are tender but slightly al dente, about 25 minutes longer. (Polenta should be loose and barely hold its shape when drizzled from whisk; it will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Remove from heat, whisk in butter and Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep covered until ready to serve.
- While polenta cooks, cut fennel bulb lengthwise through core into 8 wedges (do not remove core). Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Arrange fennel wedges cut-side down and season with salt. Brown both cut sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add garlic, tomato paste, and pepper flakes to now-empty skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until dark fond forms on bottom of skillet, about 2 minutes. Stir in Marsala, scraping up any browned bits.
- Stir in chickpeas and tomatoes. Return fennel to skillet, nestling wedges into sauce. Bring to boil over high heat. Adjust heat to maintain simmer; cover; and cook until fennel is just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve over polenta, passing oil, Parmesan, and fennel fronds separately.
for the polenta
for the fennel and chickpeas
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 4Ingredients
CREAMY POLENTA
Ingredients
CREAMY POLENTA
Ingredients
CREAMY POLENTA
Why This Recipe Works
This full-flavored vegetarian topping starts with browning fennel to mellow its anise aroma. We built a fond from garlic and tomato paste to add depth to crushed tomatoes. Then, we rounded out the flavors with nutty, sweet, and slightly fruity dry Marsala. We simmered chickpeas and the browned fennel in this rich sauce until tender. Before serving, we scattered shavings of umami-rich Parmesan over the top.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
We developed this recipe with Bob's Red Mill yellow corn polenta. Coarse-ground grits also work well. Avoid quick-cooking or instant polenta or cornmeal. Look for a fennel bulb that measures 3½ to 4 inches in diameter and weighs around 1 pound with the stalks (12 to 14 ounces without); trim the base very lightly so that the bulb remains intact. Cannellini beans may be used in place of the chickpeas. Make the topping while the polenta cooks.
Instructions
- Bring water to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Whisk in polenta, salt, and baking soda. Bring mixture to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to lowest possible setting, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth, cover, and continue to cook until grains are tender but slightly al dente, about 25 minutes longer. (Polenta should be loose and barely hold its shape when drizzled from whisk; it will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Remove from heat, whisk in butter and Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep covered until ready to serve.
- While polenta cooks, cut fennel bulb lengthwise through core into 8 wedges (do not remove core). Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Arrange fennel wedges cut-side down and season with salt. Brown both cut sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add garlic, tomato paste, and pepper flakes to now-empty skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until dark fond forms on bottom of skillet, about 2 minutes. Stir in Marsala, scraping up any browned bits.
- Stir in chickpeas and tomatoes. Return fennel to skillet, nestling wedges into sauce. Bring to boil over high heat. Adjust heat to maintain simmer; cover; and cook until fennel is just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve over polenta, passing oil, Parmesan, and fennel fronds separately.
for the polenta
for the fennel and chickpeas
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