Polenta on the table
An original recipe by Not Quite Nigella
Serves 4
For the polenta
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350g instant polenta
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1 tablespoon salt
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3 tablespoon butter
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2 litres water
For the ragu
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1 kg pork (not too lean) cut into small pieces
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1 onion chopped
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3 cloves of garlic, sliced
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100ml white wine
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1/2 cup tomato paste
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400g mushrooms, sliced
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400g tin diced tomatoes
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3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
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1 tablespoon sugar
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oil for frying
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6-7 basil leaves, torn
You will also need a Spianatora or a large wooden chopping board (not one that you cut raw meat on)
Step 1 - In a large pot or saucepan, cook the onion until becoming translucent, then brown the pork pieces in oil on high heat. If they release too much water, drain and reserve the liquid from the pot and then continue to brown. Add mushrooms, garlic, white wine and tomato paste in and cook for 15 minutes.
Step 2 - Then add the tin of diced tomatoes, white wine vinegar and sugar and cook for 45 minutes until pork is very tender and soft. Add basil leaves in at the last minute.
Step 3 - If you're using regular polenta it will take up to 30 minutes stirring and cooking. However I used instant polenta which only take 5-6 minutes which means that I can start the polenta when the ragu is ready. When the ragu is ready, boil the water in a medium to large pot and add salt. Stir in polenta with a flat bottomed wooden soon (to help ensure that the polenta doesn't stick to the bottom). Stir in butter once it thickens up (about 3 minutes into cooking it) and keep stirring it so that it doesn't stick.
Step 4 - Have your clean chopping board or spianatora ready and scoop the polenta onto the chopping board ensuring that you don't go too close to the edge. Using the base of a ladle press down on the centre and build a higher wall of polenta around the outside of the circle. Ladle the ragu into the centre and give everyone a fork to dig in!