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Cheesy herbed polenta

The Green Gourmet

Ingredients

1 cup Australian polenta (we used South Australian Four Leaf)

2 cups warm water

1 teaspoon natural yoghurt, apple cider vinegar or whey

2 cups vegetable stock
1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped

Murray River Salt Flakes

Knob of unsalted butter (we used Paris Creek)

Generous handful of parmesan-style cheese, finely grated (we used South Australian La Vera)

Handful chives, finely chopped

Handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Soaking polenta in warm water overnight hydrates the ground grains, making the polenta much quicker to cook the next day and easier to digest. Don’t worry if you forget to soak though, and just cook for about 30 minutes.

This is perfect served alongside the 3-mushroom ragout, or with a garlicky braise of kale and cannellini beans.

Place the polenta in a medium saucepan and add the 2 cups of warm water and the yoghurt, apple cider vinegar or whey. Stir well to combine, cover and leave to soak overnight at room temperature.

The next day, add the vegetable stock, rosemary and a teaspoon of salt flakes to the saucepan of soaked polenta (you don’t drain away the soaking water). Bring to the boil over medium heat, whisking well. Then lower the heat so the polenta is just simmering. Continue to cook over a low heat, stirring regularly so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan, until the polenta is soft and creamy – about 15 minutes if you have soaked the polenta. Stir through the butter and parmesan, followed by the chives and parsley, then season well with black pepper. Taste the polenta and add more salt to taste if needed.

Serve while still warm with your chosen sauce.

Leftovers store well in the fridge and can be warmed up with some extra water or stock added. Or spread leftover polenta into a shallow dish and refrigerate until firm, then cut into squares and bake, grill or panfry.