Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Baked Polenta w| Tarragon Bechamel

There's something about stirring a huge pot of Polenta, as I recently learned when cooking it for the first time, that is both relaxing and intense. A singular motion is as simple as it gets, but lumps form quickly and you have to stir firmly and often. It is pretty straightforward then, to form the cooked polenta into a baking pan and layer it with a mixture of garlic sautéed mushrooms, onions and spinach that have been seasoned with lemon zest and hot pepper flakes. A creamy tarragon bechamel gets poured over top before the outer layer of polenta can be squished firmly into place. A fresh grated cheese blend of assiago and sharp cheddar tops off the dish, melting until gooey and crisping until golden brown for 30 minutes in the oven. I adapted this recipe from Herbivoracious: you can buy the cookbook here or find other awesome polenta recipes on author Michael Natkin's blog here.

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17 comments:

  1. This looks amazing for the rainy nights we have been having! Delicious!!

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  2. Wow, I would love to dig into this right now. Looks amazing!

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  3. Oh wow this dish sounds heavenly and perfect for the rainy weather today!

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  4. Oh wow this dish sounds heavenly and perfect for the rainy weather today!

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  5. I adore polenta. And I need to buy this cookbook!

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  6. That sounds delicious, will have to try it soon.

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  7. LOVELY PICS:) I really like your blog ..do you have twitter and FB??

    If you want some swedish decor inspiration, you can check out my blog:)
    Have a great week.

    LOVE Maria at inredningsvis.se
    (Sweden)

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  8. ooh, baking polenta seems like a great idea!!

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  9. This looks so rich, gooey, and amazing!

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  10. Omg, did you eat the whole thing? I would have lol love béchamel sauce

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  11. omg that looks so good! I love bechamel!

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  12. Oh, my. That's all I can come up with. It looks so good!

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  13. I haven't had a lot of luck cooking polenta before. But who am I kidding? I haven't had a lot of luck cooking in general. :)

    Looks delicious!

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  14. I don't think I have ever had Polenta, and defintely never made it! What is it like? Risotto? The texture looks like mushy corn bread (thats a positive comment). I must have it now!

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