POLENTA PASTICCIATA AI GAMBERI
This is a recipe that utilizes the very versatile polenta - a sort of corn meal cakes with a fairly neutral flavor. Here we use a vegetable and mushroom-based stock which we mix with shrimps. When making polenta, you can use differently ground corn meals, but the simplest to work with is the one that reminds of small salt crystals. If you use very fine powdered cornmeal then you will have to preboil a small amount of it in water for about 10 minutes before you start adding the rest of the cornmeal, during intensive stirring, to prevent lumping.
4 servings:
For polenta:
600 mL/20 fl oz water
1 tsp salt
300 mL/10 oz polenta
Bring the salted water to the boil together with a little amount of polenta that you have whisked thoroughly into the liquid. Use a heavy-bottomed thick pot for that. When the water is boiling, start adding the rest of the polenta while continuously stirring. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 30-45 minutes, until you get a thick mass with a crust formed in the bottom. Polenta is finished when it can be lifted up from the crust. Lift it up from the pot, possibly in smaller blocks, and put on a plate.
Shrimps and mushrooms:
500 g/1 lb shrimps
50 g/2 oz butter
2 portabello mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
1 carrot, chopped
3 tbsp celeriac, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
salt, pepper, ground nutmeg to season
Do this while the polenta is cooking so everything comes together when hot. Prepare the shrimps by removing the shells. In a pan, melt the butter on medium heat and start sautéeing the onion, garlic, carrot, celeriac, with some salt. After 3 minutes, add the mushrooms and parsley and cook for 3 more minutes. Add shrimps, season with pepper and nutmeg and cook for 2 minutes or less so the shrimps don't get too stringy. Serve with polenta.