Polenta is a classic north Italian staple, typically served with rich hearty sauces such as ragù.
I used to wake up on Sundays to my mum cooking polenta.
It’s not traditional to use pork sausage in ragù but it’s delicious.
SERVES 4-6
INGREDIENTS:
Ragù
- 1 white onion, finely diced
- 1 celery stick, finely diced
- 1 large carrot, finely diced
- olive oil, for cooking
- 1 kg Italian sausages (with no fennel), casings removed
- ¾ cup good-quality red wine
- 5 large very ripe ox-heart tomatoes
- 1 cup salt-reduced chicken stock
- ⅓ cup tomato paste concentrate
- 3 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 3f resh bay leaves
- 1 sprig basil
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp caster sugar
Polenta
- 4 cups water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup coarse polenta
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup mixed finely grated parmesan and pecorino cheese, to taste
METHOD
For the ragù, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook until softened but not coloured.
Increase the heat to high, crumble in the sausage meat and use a spoon to break up clumps.
Add the wine and cook until it has evaporated.
Cut the tops off the tomatoes, squeeze out the seeds and finely chop the flesh and add the tomatoes.
Add the stock, tomato paste, garlic cloves, bay leaves, basil, oregano, cayenne and sugar.
Allow to come to the boil, then reduce the heat and gently simmer until the tomato starts to breakdown.
Season with salt and pepper, reduce the heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.
For the polenta, bring the water and salt to the boil in a large saucepan.
While whisking, pour in the polenta in a slow stream, and whisk until it begins to thicken and pull away from the sides of the pan.
Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and stir every 5-6 minutes until the polenta is soft.
Add the butter, stirring until melted.
Add the cheese, stirring until melted.
Remove from the heat and leave with the lid on for 5 minutes before serving with the ragù.
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