Canice
01-23-2005, 06:44 PM
I took a fun class today, called "Quick and Easy Cooking at Home" and this was one of the most well-received entrées we made. I know lamb has a lot of detractors, but if you're not one of them, I highly recommend this for a cold winter's night!
Lamb Sugo with Soft Polenta
Lamb sugo:
1/4 cup olive oil
8 ounces very lean lamb, cut into 1” cubes
8 ounces ground lamb
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup Chianti
1 pound tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped (if using canned, drain from the liquid and reserve liquid for another use)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Polenta:
2 cups water
2 cups milk
1 Tablespoon salt
1 cup polenta or cornmeal
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
Freshly grated Pecorino cheese
To make the sugo, heat oil in a large, non-reactive sauté pan over medium heat. Add the lamb cubes and ground lamb and cook until well-browned. Add the carrots, onion and celery and cook 3-4 minutes more, until the vegetables begin to soften. Pour in the wine and, using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook 3 minutes then add the tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir well. Cover the pan and cook at medium-low for 30 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and the meat is tender.
To make the polenta, heat water, milk and salt in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to medium and drizzle in polenta in a slow, thin stream whisking constantly, until all polenta is incorporated and mixture begins to thicken. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir until grains are soft and mixture is very thick, about 8 minutes. Note: Some polenta grains will cook much more quickly and some much more slowly so be sure to taste it before adding the cheese and serving. Remove pot from burner, stir in the cheese and continue to stir until it is melted and incorporated.
To serve, spoon the warm polenta into shallow soup bowls and top with warm sugo and grated pecorino.
Serves 4-6
Adapted from The Authentic Pasta Book by Fred Plotkin.
Lamb Sugo with Soft Polenta
Lamb sugo:
1/4 cup olive oil
8 ounces very lean lamb, cut into 1” cubes
8 ounces ground lamb
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup Chianti
1 pound tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped (if using canned, drain from the liquid and reserve liquid for another use)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Polenta:
2 cups water
2 cups milk
1 Tablespoon salt
1 cup polenta or cornmeal
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
Freshly grated Pecorino cheese
To make the sugo, heat oil in a large, non-reactive sauté pan over medium heat. Add the lamb cubes and ground lamb and cook until well-browned. Add the carrots, onion and celery and cook 3-4 minutes more, until the vegetables begin to soften. Pour in the wine and, using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook 3 minutes then add the tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir well. Cover the pan and cook at medium-low for 30 minutes, or until the sauce is thick and the meat is tender.
To make the polenta, heat water, milk and salt in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until boiling. Reduce heat to medium and drizzle in polenta in a slow, thin stream whisking constantly, until all polenta is incorporated and mixture begins to thicken. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir until grains are soft and mixture is very thick, about 8 minutes. Note: Some polenta grains will cook much more quickly and some much more slowly so be sure to taste it before adding the cheese and serving. Remove pot from burner, stir in the cheese and continue to stir until it is melted and incorporated.
To serve, spoon the warm polenta into shallow soup bowls and top with warm sugo and grated pecorino.
Serves 4-6
Adapted from The Authentic Pasta Book by Fred Plotkin.