Savory Polenta Cake with Cheddar, Feta and Peppers
Photo by: Claudia Alexander
There is a lot of confusion about the difference between cornmeal and polenta. Some say polenta is a dish and cornmeal an ingredient. Really though, both are made from the exact same kind of corn: flint corn. Flint corn is used to make corn flour, cornmeal, polenta, and even popcorn. The difference is the specific grind of the corn. Corn flour is super finely ground; cornmeal comes in fine, medium, or coarse grind. Polenta is a slightly coarser ground corn, and you can substitute coarse cornmeal for polenta if you’d prefer. Instant polenta is also an option and is the grain originally called for in this recipe, but I thought it lacked the flavor and texture that makes this cornbread so unusual. It is now part of my repertoire of revolving recipes and hopefully you will make it one of yours.
Note: Be aware that if you are using regular polenta, it needs to soak in a bowl of water for 1-2 hours.
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Photo by: Claudia Alexander
Serves 8-10
adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook “Simple”
Ingredients:
1 cup corn kernels—from 2 small ears of corn; frozen is fine too
1 ½ cup of yellow polenta
2 whole eggs room temperature
¼ cup dark brown sugar
3-4 scallions chopped (heaping ½ cup)
½ cup olive oil + more for greasing the pan
1 ½ cups plain yogurt (I use non-fat)
1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped (seeded if you want the flavor but not the heat)
½ cup chopped cilantro
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Topping:
½ cup crumbled feta
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
¼ cup sliced red onions
1 jalapeño pepper seeds removed and cut into thinly slices (optional)
Directions:
Put the polenta in a medium bowl and cover with about 1 inch of water. Cover with a plate and let sit for 1-2 hours or overnight.
Preheat Oven to 375°
Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. preheat to 375°.
Oil the bottom and sides of a 10”-12” cast iron skillet—set aside.
When the polenta is ready drain it and let it sit in a colander over a bowl until you are ready to use it. In another medium-sized bowl add the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, cumin, Aleppo pepper, salt, and black pepper.
Sauté the corn kernels in a dry skillet until it gets brown specks—let it cool on a small plate.
In a large bowl whisk the eggs, brown sugar, yogurt, scallions, and olive oil. Pour in the drained polenta and mix with a large wooden spoon, add the diced jalapeño, the corn kernels, and the dry ingredients, combine until evenly distributed.
Pour the polenta mixture into the prepared skillet. Sprinkle both cheeses evenly over the top of it along with the red onions and the sliced jalapeño, if using.
Place in the oven for 50 minutes or until golden brown. Check after 40 minutes and if the top is getting too brown, tent it loosely with foil or parchment paper. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes before serving.
Photo by: Claudia Alexander