Brussels sprouts and polenta: comfort food for a cold day

Polenta, the Italian equivalent of mashed potatoes, is comfort food at its best. This quick and delicious version gets its rich and smooth flavor from pecorino cheese and cream. Oven-baked Brussels sprouts with a generous amount of garlic complete the dish. How can something so simple be so good?

Serves 4

Brussels sprouts and polenta

  • 300 g Brussels sprouts
  • 6-7 cloves of garlic
  • 100 g of bacon
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt, ground black pepper


Polenta

  • 2.5 dl instant polenta
  • 6 dl chicken broth
  • 4 dl cooking cream
  • 1 dl grated pecorino cheese
  • 1 dl corn
  • (bacon)

 

Cut the stems off the Brussels sprouts and remove any bad leaves. Cut the sprouts in half vertically. Spread them on a lined baking tray and drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Peel the garlic cloves and add to the tray. Add bacon as well (optional). Bake at 200 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Drain the corn. Prepare the polenta by heating the chicken broth and cream. Add the polenta to the stock. Heat the mixture while stirring for a few minutes until the polenta has a porridge-like texture. Add the grated Pecorino Cheese and the corn grains. Continue heating for a little while.

Serve the polenta in bowls with roasted Brussels sprouts (and bacon) on top. Finish with some freshly grated black pepper.

Tips:

Polenta is a great gluten-free option for cooking or baking. It’s made from coarsely-ground cornmeal, which is naturally free of gluten.

You can cook the polenta in various different broths, such as vegetable or chicken broth.

Other strongly flavoured cheeses, such as parmesan, pecorino cheese or taleggio, are also a great option.

Mushrooms are a delicious alternative to bacon.