Red polenta with goat ragú - Italian Cuisine

"This is my favourite way to enjoy polenta - soft with a rich goat ragú, cavolo nero and prosciutto, and shared in the centre of the table with loved ones. Red flint corn polenta is the real deal when it comes to polenta. Whole-milled, hearty, full flavoured and earthy, it is hard to source in Australia but can be found at Italian specialty food stores. Alternatively, substitute with a good quality polenta, except for instant polenta which pales in comparison when it comes to flavour and texture." Andre Ursini

Ingredients



2 cups chopped cavolo nero, fried in olive oil until crisp and strained

100 g prosciutto, chopped

20 g unsalted butter

¼ cup chopped parsley

aged balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling





Ragú



80 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil

1.2 kg boneless goat shoulder, cut into 4 cm pieces

plain flour, for dusting

40 g unsalted butter

1 onion, finely diced

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 bay leaf

4 sprigs thyme

375 ml (1½ cups) dry white wine

500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock





Polenta



200 g fine red flint corn polenta

150 g unsalted butter, chopped

70 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated, plus extra to serve

salt, to taste

Cook's notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.



Instructions



For the ragú , heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Dust the goat meat in flour and shake off the excess. Cook the meat in batches until browned all over, then remove from the pan. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the butter and when melted, add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Cook, stirring regularly for 10 minutes or until golden. Return the meat to the pan, then add the bay leaf and thyme and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low, partially cover the pan with a lid and simmer, stirring occasionally for 1½ hours or until the meat is tender. Remove from the heat and set aside and keep warm. The ragú can be made several days ahead of time and kept refrigerated until needed.



For the polenta, bring 1 litre of water to the boil in a heavy-based saucepan. Whisking continuously, gradually add the polenta until well combined. Reduce the heat to as low as possible, and cook, whisking every 5 minutes for 45 minutes or until the polenta comes away from the sides of the pan. Stir in the butter and parmesan and season to taste with salt.



Meanwhile, place the prosciutto into a small frying pan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until golden and crisp. Remove from the pan. Return the goat ragú to low heat and stir until hot, then stir in the crisp prosciutto, butter and parsley and check the seasoning.



To serve, spoon the hot polenta onto a wooden board or serving plates. Spoon the ragú over the polenta, scatter with the fried cavolo nero, grated Parmigiano Reggiano and a drizzle of aged balsamic and extra virgin olive oil.