Although I love mashed potatoes, this Creamy Polenta with Sage stole my heart while recipe testing for Thanksgiving recipes. It’s a dish that comes together quickly and is best served immediately. Grab your favorite cook in the family, a favorite mocktail or cocktail and make this one in the last 15 minutes before serving your holiday feast. you certainly won’t regret it.
creamy polenta with sage ingredients:
- polenta: made from yellow corn similar to grits and it’s naturally gluten-free.
- good-quality butter: this recipe only has a few ingredients so make sure they are all great. this is my favorite pastured butter.
- heavy cream: adds a perfect richness to the polenta.
- shallots: this dish starts with sautéed shallots for the perfect aromatics and depth of flavor.
- fresh sage: we use sage twice in this dish- minced in the polenta base and crispy leaves garnished on top.
- fresh garlic: another aromatic that adds depth of flavor.
- good parmesan: I use a good 24 month aged parmesan cheese in the polenta base as well as garnished atop.
how to make:
the key to this quickly-moving recipe is to have everything chopped & measured before you begin cooking. begin by frying the sage leaves in olive oil and setting them aside to crisp up and drain. next, mince the sage, shallots and garlic and grate the parmesan. measure the chicken stock, cream, butter and dry polenta. finally, set out your serving dish and pot to cook the polenta and you are ready to begin.
begin by sautéing the shallots and minced sage in the dutch oven with butter. stir in the garlic and seasonings followed by the chicken stock. bring to a gentle simmer then slowly sprinkle in dry polenta, whisking constantly until polenta is nice and thickened. stir in cream, butter and parmesan then transfer to serving dish. top with remaining parmesan and broil for several minutes. top with crispy sage leaves and serve immediately.
entertaining ideas:
below are a few menu planning ideas for your creamy polenta with sage.
- thanksgiving lunch: serve creamy polenta in lieu of mashed potatoes with the rest of your fabulous thanksgiving spread.
- christmas dinner: serve creamy polenta with braised short ribs, my apple walnut bleu cheese salad, and maple-glazed carrots.
- couples dinner party: serve creamy polenta with my marsala mushroom mini meatloaves and roasted Brussels sprouts.
- weeknight dinner: serve creamy polenta with roasted chicken and a green salad.
Creamy Polenta with Sage
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 20 whole sage leaves plus 2 Tablespoons, minced
- 4 Tablespoons butter separated in half
- ½ cup shallots minced
- 1.5 teaspoons mineral salt
- 20 grinds of freshly-cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
- 3 cloves garlic minced finely
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups dry polenta
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups parmesan grated on a microplane, separated in half
Instructions
- To a small saute pan, add olive oil and heat pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Add sage leaves and lightly fry, for 1-2 minutes per side until lightly crisp. Carefully transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to cool and drain. Set aside.
- Measure and cut all remaining ingredients before beginning to cook- as the process goes quickly. To a 8-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, add 2 Tablespoons of butter with minced sage and shallots. Stir in salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes until translucent then stir in minced garlic. Saute and stir an additional 1 minute.
- Pour in chicken stock and bring to a light simmer. Turn heat down to keep it at a light simmer- not boiling. With one hand, begin slowly pouring in polenta, a little at a time, making sure to whisk constantly.
- Gently stir and simmer polenta for 4-5 minutes until thickened and cooked. Stir in remaining butter along with heavy cream and 1/2 of the parmesan.
- Quickly pour polenta into a prepared casserole dish, smoothing the top. Sprinkle remaining parmesan evenly atop then pop under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, watching carefully, until lightly browned and bubbling.
- Garnish with crispy sage leaves scattered atop and serve immediately.
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