Polenta with Gorgonzola and Honey
This polenta dish from Boston chef Douglass Williams is a customer favorite. Make the polenta in advance, so that it has time to chill and set up. Then fry it, top it with honey and Gorgonzola, and serve as an appetizer.
Polenta with Gorgonzola and Honey
Photo Credit : Michael PiazzaThis polenta dish will never come off the menu at Douglass Williams’s Boston restaurant, Mida—it’s just too good. The only trick is to make the polenta in advance, so that it has time to chill and set up. Then you can fry it, top it with honey and Gorgonzola, and serve it as an appetizer.
From “A Recipe for Zen,” March/April 2021
Yield:
6 servingsIngredients
4 cups water
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
1 cup polenta meal (medium to coarse grind)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
3/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola, divided
1/2 cup honey, divided
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
In a large pot, add the water, salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Bring to a boil. Whisk in the polenta meal, then reduce heat to medium-low and whisk continuously for 7 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the Parmesan, and stir to fully incorporate. Pour the polenta into an oven-safe 8-by-8-inch baking dish and tap it on the counter to spread it evenly and release any bubbles. Let this sit overnight in the refrigerator, uncovered, to set and form a crust on top.
Preheat your oven to 375°. Remove the polenta from the fridge and cut into 6 equal pieces. Pour ¼ cup olive oil into a large ovenproof skillet, then set each piece of polenta into the oil. Set over medium-high heat. Let the polenta cook until it begins to brown on the bottom, then transfer the skillet to the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle equal portions of Gorgonzola over the polenta squares. Return the pan to the oven to let it melt, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and plate the polenta. Drizzle equal portions of the honey and remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over the polenta squares, then sprinkle with pepper.
