Name: Buckwheat polenta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 100 gm butter, coarsely chopped; 250 gm buckwheat polenta (see note); 100 gm finely grated parmesan; Gorgonzola sauce; 600 ml thickened cream; 200 gm Gorgonzola piccante

Buckwheat polenta

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for buckwheat polenta by Robert Marchetti from Melbourne Italian restaurant Giuseppe, Arnaldo & Sons

Serves 6

Prep

15M

Cook

Total

1H 15M

Ingredients

100 gm butter, coarsely chopped

250 gm buckwheat polenta (see note)

100 gm finely grated parmesan

Gorgonzola sauce

600 ml thickened cream

200 gm Gorgonzola piccante

Method

Main

1.Combine butter and 1.6 litres of water in a large heavy-based saucepan and bring to the simmer over medium-high heat. Gradually rain in polenta, whisking continuously, then reduce heat to low and cook, stirring continuously, until thick and smooth and no longer grainy (30-45 minutes). Add parmesan (reserving 1 tbsp), season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and pour into an oiled 25cm-square cake pan. If polenta doesn’t have a silky pouring consistency, add 100ml boiling water to thin. Cool, refrigerate until firm (2-3 hours) then, using a 9.5cm-diameter pastry cutter, cut into rounds.

2.Meanwhile, for Gorgonzola sauce, combine ingredients in a saucepan, bring to the simmer over low heat, remove from heat and gently whisk to combine. Refrigerate until completely cold (1-1½ hours).

3.Preheat oven to 230C. Place a polenta round in the centres of six buttered, heatproof shallow bowls. Spoon sauce onto polenta without spilling, scatter over remaining parmesan and bake on bottom shelf until golden (12-15 minutes). Serve immediately.