Char Grilled Polenta Recipe with Eggplant

What is polenta, you might be wondering. Polenta is a creamy Italian cornmeal porridge, which is often served as part of an Italian meal instead of pasta or rice. It combines well with many cuisines, including Mexican, and lends a delicious rustic flavor to any dish featuring sauce.

There are different polenta recipes and it can be served like a runny porridge or it can be chilled to set and then cut into shapes. Polenta is easy to find in grocery stores and because a lot of Mexican foods have rich and flavorful sauces, polenta makes a wonderful accompaniment to these dishes. Try polenta instead of rice or tortillas with your favorite Mexican recipes and you will be surprised how nicely it goes with them.

Grilled Eggplant and Polenta with a Spicy Mexican Sauce

Ingredients -

For the Eggplant Sauce:

1 large eggplant, in 1/2 inch slices
1/2 cup olive oil
28 oz canned diced tomatoes
6 oz tomato paste
1 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped

For the Grilled Eggplant:

1 large eggplant
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch each basil, dill, thyme and oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Polenta:

8 cups water
2 cups polenta or yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 cup heavy cream
Olive oil
Fresh cracked black pepper

Preparation:

Bring the water and salt to a boil in a big pan and gradually pour in the polenta in a steady stream, stirring constantly. Turn the heat down and keep stirring until the polenta is smooth and thick. This takes about 20 minutes.

Keep stirring else it will stick to the pan! Add the butter and cream and keep stirring until it is mixed in well. Remove from the heat and stir in the pepper and cheese.

Pour the polenta into a 9 x 13 inch dish and spread it evenly using a spatula.

Cover and chill for several hours until it is set.

Cut the eggplant into 1/2 inch thick slices. Whisk the vinegar, oil, garlic, herbs, and seasonings together in a bowl and brush both sides of the eggplant with this mixture. Grill it for 15 or 20 minutes, turning once.

For the eggplant sauce, heat the oil in a skillet over a medium heat. Cook the eggplant, onion, bell pepper, and garlic until soft, stirring frequently. Transfer the vegetables to a stockpot. Stir in the diced tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, and water. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cut the polenta into 18 triangles. Brush both sides with olive oil and grill it on both sides until it is heated through and has grill marks on.

Divide the sauce between the serving plates, top it with the grilled eggplant slices, and arrange three polenta triangles on the top of each plate. Serve immediately.

(Serves 6)

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