Ingredients
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3 cups water
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1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 2 teaspoons dried sage, crumbled
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1 cup yellow cornmeal
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3 cups milk (or you can use 1 1/2 cups milk and 1 1/2 cups half-and-half)
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2 bay leaves
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6 whole cloves
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6 allspice berries
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1/4 cup butter
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1/4 cup all-purpose flour
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1 cup crumbled gorgonzola or 1 cup other blue cheese
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salt and pepper
Instructions
- For polenta: Butter 9 X 13 inch baking dish.
- Bring water, sage, olive oil and salt to boil in medium saucepan.
- Gradually add cornmeal in thin stream, stirring constantly.
- Reduce heat to low.
- Cook until cornmeal slowly falls off lifted spoon, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes.
- Immediately spread polenta in prepared dish; smooth top.
- Cool completely (can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate).
- For sauce: bring milk, bay leaves, cloves and allspice to boil in medium saucepan.
- Reduce heat to low.
- Simmer 10 minutes.
- Melt butter in another medium saucepan over moderate heat.
- Add flour.
- Whisk until smooth and bubbling (do not brown), about 2 minutes.
- Strain milk mixture into flour mixture, whisking until smooth; add gorgonzola and whisk into sauce until melted.
- Cook until thick, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes.
- Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg (can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.).
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Butter 9 X 13 inch baking dish.
- Spread ½ cup of the sauce on the bottom.
- Cut polenta into 2 inch squares that are ¼ inch thick.
- Cut each square in half horizontally.
- Place squares in baking dish, overlapping edges slightly.
- Pour remaining sauce over.
- Sprinkle with grated Parmesan (can be prepared 1 hour ahead).
- Bake until polenta is heated through and top is golden-brown, about 50 minutes.
- Cool 10 minutes before serving.