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Polenta with a punch

This week, Nicola Galloway shares a slow-cooked meal to enjoy while the weather is still gloomy, and a starch that is great on its own – or as chips.

Nicola Galloway is an award-winning food writer, cookbook author and culinary tutor. Visit: homegrown-kitchen.co.nz.

Time to share one more slow-cooked stew before winter is out. By mid-August I find myself yearning for the warming days, and especially for the garden to jump back into life.

This has been an unseasonably wet and gloomy winter (at least for the top of the south), with little going on in the garden without the sunshine. Let’s hope spring is unseasonably fine to make up for the wet winter.

Here is a comforting ragu to serve with polenta – or pasta, if preferred. I like to mix up the starch component in meals and polenta is something a little different, and so easy to prepare – quicker than boiling pasta.

I have included instructions on how to prepare soft polenta to serve alongside a saucy ragu, or to cut into chips and oven roast.

Beef & swede ragu with gremolata

For slow-cooking, look for well marbled meat that will soften with the low heat. My choice here was shin beef, but rump or chuck steak work just as well.

I have also used wild venison rump for this recipe with great results for a richer stew.

Served with soft polenta, this is an all round warming winter meal. I serve it together in one large dish to scoop from, but you can serve in individual dishes if preferred.

The gremolata adds some much needed brightness. A small amount goes a long way. You can use any mix of herbs here, even rocket or young kale leaves – I used both along with parsley from the garden.

Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 2 1⁄2 hours Serves 4

■ 2 tbsp olive oil, divided

■ 500g shin beef, rump or chuck steak (or venison), cut into 2cm pieces

■ 1 tbsp plain flour (or gluten-free flour)

■ Salt and cracked pepper

■ 1 large brown onion (about 200g), roughly chopped

■ 1 large carrot (about 150g), roughly chopped

■ Half a swede or celeriac (about 250g), peeled and roughly chopped

■ Sprig of thyme and rosemary

■ 1 bay leaf

■ 2 strips of orange zest

■ 1 glass white wine (or 150ml extra stock)

■ 200ml tomato passata, or canned chopped tomatoes

■ 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock or water

Gremolata

■ Large handful (about 100g) herbs and/or greens – parsley, dill, fennel, rocket, kale

■ 1 tbsp capers, rinsed

■ 1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced

■ Zest and juice of 1⁄2 lemon, about 2 tablespoons

Heat a lidded casserole dish or large saucepan over a moderate heat.

Add 1 tbsp of the olive oil, followed by the meat. Sprinkle over the flour and season generously, tossing over the heat to combine.

Brown the meat for about 5 minutes then scoop onto a plate.

Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the dish along with the onion, carrot and swede/celeriac. Season well and saute for 8-10 minutes until softened and beginning to caramelise. Return the meat to the dish/pan.

Use a short length of kitchen twine to tie the herbs together. Add to the pan along with the orange zest (I use a peeler to thin peel strips of zest from an orange).

Cook over the heat for 1 minute then add the remaining ingredients – white wine, passata and stock/water. Stir to combine, then cover with the lid, lower the heat and cook for about 2 hours until the meat is tender

(if using venison it may need to be cooked for 30-60 minutes longer). Remove and compost the bundle of herbs.

Prepare the gremolata: Ona large chopping board roughly chop the herbs and/or greens. Spoon over the capers, garlic and lemon zest and continue to chop until combined. Scrape into a small bowl and add the lemon juice. Check taste, adding extra lemon juice if needed to balance the flavours.

Once the ragu is ready, spread a large dish with soft polenta (recipe below) and spoon over the ragu. Dot with the gremolata and serve with extra greens on the side.

Soft polenta + oven roasted polenta chips

If you haven’t already I encourage you to embrace polenta as a regular starch on the table. It makes a great alternative to pasta for the ragu. And it can also be cooled then cut into shapes, in this case chips to roast in the oven for a light meal or snack. Look for the fine grain ‘‘quick cook’’ or ‘‘instant’’ polenta that cooks in 5 minutes, the more coarse polenta needs to cook for 25-30 minutes.

Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 5 minutes, plus 25-30 minutes for oven chips Serves 4

■ 3 1⁄2 cups (875ml) boiling water

■ 1⁄2 tsp salt

■ 1 cup (180g) quick cook (instant) polenta

■ 30g butter

■ Large handful (about 40g) parmesan cheese

For the polenta chips

■ 1 tbsp olive oil

■ Pinch of salt

■ Finely chopped herbs – rosemary, thyme and/or oregano

Pour the boiling water into a large saucepan and bring it back to the boil.

Add the salt and slowly pour in the polenta while whisking to avoid lumps. Continue to whisk the polenta over a low heat for 5 minutes until it is thick. Be careful, the polenta is very hot and if unattended will erupt and splatter – the best advice is to keep gently stirring. It only takes 5 minutes.

After this time remove the polenta from the heat and add the butter and parmesan. Whisk until melted and the polenta is soft and creamy.

At this stage the polenta can be served hot with a scoop on each plate or as described in the previous recipe.

To make oven roasted polenta chips: Grease a 22x35cm (or there abouts) dish or tray with olive oil.

Cook the polenta following the directions above then immediately pour it into the prepared dish. Smooth the surface and leave to cool completely at room temperature (uncovered). The polenta can now be covered and chilled for up to a day, or proceed as follows.

Preheat the oven to 200C (fan 180C). Grease the base of an oven tray with a generous drizzle of olive oil.

Use the tip of a sharp knife to score the now cold polenta into chips, about 1.5cm wide and 8cm long. Use a spatula to scoop out the ‘‘chips’’ and arrange them in a single layer on a large oven tray (use two if needed) – leave a 1-2cm space between each. Drizzle with olive oil and scatter with salt and chopped herbs.

Roast for 20 minutes. Then use a metal spatula to carefully flip the chips (they are quite delicate while hot so take your time), and cook for a further 5-10 minutes until golden.

Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes on the tray (they will be too hot to eat at this stage), then scoop onto a platter and serve.

These make a great light meal or snack. I like to serve it with a smokey mayo – mix 4 tbsp mayonnaise with 1 tbsp yoghurt or lemon juice, add 1 tsp smoked paprika and a pinch or splash of chilli.

Stir to combine and serve alongside the polenta chips.

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