Polenta with Sausage Ragu
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon, for grilling
- 1 pound pork sausage, removed from the casings
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 onion, finely minced
- 1 carrot, finely minced
- 1 bunch thyme leaves
- 1 bunch oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 (16-ounce) can peeled San Marzano tomatoes and their juices
- Salt and pepper
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil.
- Add the cornmeal in a thin stream, stirring constantly.
- Lower the heat to a simmer, season with salt and cook 5 to 7 minutes, until the consistency of thick oatmeal.
- Pour the polenta into a clean but not greased 9 by 13-inch baking dish and allow to cool 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a 12 to 14-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat until just smoking.
- Add the sausage and cook over high heat until it begins to brown in its own fat.
- Drain the excess fat and stir in the garlic, onion, carrot, 1/2 of the thyme, 1/2 of the oregano, fennel seeds, white wine and tomatoes and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 20 minutes, until mixture has a thick ragu consistency.
- Stir in the remaining thyme and oregano.
- Meanwhile, preheat the grill or broiler.
- Cut the polenta into quarters, then halves each quarter diagonally to make 8 wedges.
- Brush the wedges with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, set over the grill and cook until slightly charred and crispy, about 10 minutes.
- Divide the polenta wedges equally among 4 warmed dinner plates, top with a ladle of the ragu and serve immediately.
water, yellow cornmeal, salt, extravirgin olive oil, pork sausage, garlic, onion, carrot, thyme, oregano, fennel seeds, white wine, tomatoes, salt
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/polenta-with-sausage-ragu-recipe.html (may not work)