This is a quick little meal that's so good and very filling. Give it a whirl. I think the entire process took us about 20-25 minutes.
The Meal: Braised Greens and Chorizo with Polenta
The Ingredients: 5.5 oz. bag arugula
5 oz. fresh spinach and/or kale
Extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Red wine vinegar, to taste
Salt and pepper
1/4 lb. chorizo
3 1/2 cups water
Salt
3/4 cup polenta
1/4 cup marscapone
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 eggs
Start with boiling a large (4 qt. or larger) pot of water to blanch your greens. If you're not getting your greens out of the bag in the produce section, make sure to wash them first:
Ours, of course, are fresh greens. Do me a favor and ask Bill where he got them the next time you talk to him.
Especially if you're using kale or large leaf spinach, make sure to cut out the stems. They're too touch to eat.
You'll need to blanch only the spinach and/or kale for about five minutes (not the arugula - they're small and tender enough) until they turn a brilliant shade of green.
Drain the water from the greens. In a large saute pan, brown your garlic in the olive oil (a few turns of the pan) and add your crushed red pepper flakes. Once the garlic is golden brown, add all of your greens, included the arugula. Saute the greens for about 5 minutes, adding red wine vinegar at the end to taste. Set greens aside.
Making polenta, Bill tells me, is much like making grits. So it is. Bring your water to a boil and make sure it is generously salted. If you don't salt the water enough, you'll never get the end product seasoned correctly. Once at a boil, gently whisk in the polenta to avoid clumping.
Cook until thickened and the polenta is tender. You're going for the consistency of grits. Add the marscapone, butter and parmesan, then cover and set aside until you're ready to serve. If it becomes too thick in the meantime, you can thin it out with a little warm milk or cream.
Now, I have to say - I LIVE for chorizo. You can practically put it in anything I eat. I'm not sure exactly how much we used (Bill thought it was a little much), but 1/4 lb. should do it for two people. Cut the chorizo into a medium dice. Brown in a small saucepan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.
I could actually eat that picture. The picture itself. Of the chorizo.
Pour most of the drippings out of the pan and add the greens in. Toss together to incorporate and warm the greens.
We've covered poached eggs on the blog before, with our White Bean and Swiss Chard Stew. I'm admittedly still not good at it - it definitely takes some practice. This meal is already quite enough without it, but who doesn't love to see that runny yolk pouring over your already-delicious meal?
See, I told you. Pure decadence.
Pile a big ol' helping of the greens on top of your polenta. Crack a little black pepper on top of the egg. Eat it all up.
And, of course, Bill the Pastry Chef can't see the return of The Finer Things Club without dessert. Our dear friend Deb over at Smitten Kitchen has come through yet again, this time with her Everyday Chocolate Cake.
I made a caramel drizzle for the top, and am not afraid to tell you that I screwed up. I forgot to temper in the egg yolk at the end of making the caramel, so it turned out more like hard, sticky caramel when it cooled - which happened really quickly.
For the caramel sauce: Over high heat, bring 1/2 cup water and 1 cup sugar to boil until dissolved. Continue cooking over medium-high heat, swirling the pan constantly and brushing down the sides with water, until it turns a deep amber color. Remove from heat and quickly whisk in 1/4 cup heavy cream. In a large bowl, temper the eggs yolks and caramel - don't end up with scrambled eggs! Drizzle and enjoy.
Welcome back, dear readers!
Oh. My. God.
ReplyDeleteCan I please be your sous-chef.
:)