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Pan Fried Polenta salad with pesto and cherry tomatoes

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Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Low
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Author: Lorena Salinas from Cravings Journal

Ingredients

For the polenta

  • 100 g polenta
  • 500 ml milk any type
  • 30 g grated parmesan cheese I used Grana Padano
  • 1 garlic clove crushed with the side of a knife
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the pesto

  • 20 g basil leaves
  • 25 g almonds toasted in a preheated oven at 180C
  • 25 g walnuts toasted in a preheated oven at 180C
  • 15 g grated Parmesan cheese I used Grana Padano
  • 1/2 garlic clove minced, crushed or puréed
  • 80 g olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Para los tomates cherry

  • 350 g cherry tomatoees
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper

To serve

  • 100 g serrano ham or prosciutto
  • balsamic glaze / balsami reduction

Instructions

For the polenta

  • Add the garlic, polenta a milk to a pot over medium heat.
  • Stirs constantly using a whisk until it starts to boil. Taste the polenta and if there are still some uncooked bits left cook it a few extra seconds. 
  • Turn off the heat and add the parmesan cheese. Mix to help it melt into the polenta. Taste it and correct the level of salt and pepper.
  • Spread the mix evenly in a 2020cm mould and take it to the fridge overninght.
  • Run a knife around the edge of the mould and filp it onto a chopping board. Cut it into squares.
  • Place a pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Pan fry the polenta on either side (it takes a couple of minutes to become golden) and flip it to pan fry on the other side. Remove them from the pan and serve.

For the pesto

  • Place everything in a food procesor until you have a fine pesto.
  • If you're not going to use it immediately you can place it in a container and layer some olive oil on top. In that way it's not in contact with the air and won't turn black.

For the cherry tomatoes

  • Mix the cherry tomatoes with the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. If they're too big you can split them in half beforehand.
  • Take them to a preheated oven at 180C for 20-30min or until soft and bursted.

To serve

  • Make a bed of the polenta and top with the cherry tomatoes, serrano jam, drops of pesto and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
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