Bottega - Michael Chiarello [29]
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat and add the onions, carrots, celery, and bay leaves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are a deep brown, about 20 minutes. Add the red wine and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook to reduce by half, about 10 minutes.
While the vegetables are cooking, pour the stock into a stockpot, add the peppercorns, and cook over high heat until the liquid is reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Pour the reduced stock into the pan with the red wine and vegetables. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the reduced balsamic vinegar. Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, and set aside.
FOR THE POLENTA: In a large, heavy saucepan, combine the cream, water, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to medium. Gradually whisk in the polenta in a slow, steady stream. Whisk until the liquid boils again and the grains are suspended in the liquid. Keep whisking so the polenta doesn’t scorch. Once it comes to a simmer, switch to a wooden spoon and stir every few minutes until the polenta is creamy without any hint of grittiness, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the nutmeg, fontina, and Parmesan.
FOR THE MUSHROOMS: Heat a large sauté pan or skillet over high heat, add the 3 tablespoons oil, and heat until it shimmers. Add the mushrooms but no more than two deep anywhere in the pan; if you pile them on, they will steam instead of brown. Cook the mushrooms in two pans if you have to, using about 2 tablespoons oil per pan. Mushrooms over heat can be temperamental: don’t stir them, don’t salt them, and don’t turn them until the bottom layer is brown, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the garlic and sauté until the garlic shows a light brown color. Add the thyme, and listen to it crackle in the pan. Add the parsley and toss. Remove from the heat and set aside. You can cook the mushrooms up to 1 hour before serving.
FOR THE PARM CROSTINI: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parch-ment paper. If you have them, place six 3-inch ring molds on the prepared pan. Inside each ring mold, evenly spoon about 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan. (To make without ring molds, spoon 6 mounds of Parmesan about 2 inches apart, and spread into thin, even rounds. The free-form crostini won’t fit as smoothly on the top of your polenta as the ring-molded ones, but just angle them in or trim to fit.)
Slide the pan into the oven and bake until the Parmesan is melted into disks that are just begin-ning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Store these stacked in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Spoon ½ cup polenta into each of 6 half-pint French glass canning jars with attached lids. Place 1 Parmesan crostini on top, either neatly resting on the surface of the polenta or slid into the surface at an angle. Divide the mushrooms among the jars. Serve the balsamic sauce at the table and let guests pour a few tablespoons of it per serving. Pour any remaining sauce into small creamers or pitchers so guests can pour on more sauce as they wish.
CHEF’S NOTES: Consider the polenta recipe a template; you can substitute any liquid for the cream. Try it with chicken stock, tomato sauce, or vegetable juice.
Fritto Misto di Calamari with Aioli Nero
SERVES 6
Made with the ink of squid, garlic, egg yolk, and lemon juice, aioli nero completes the flavor of the calamari. The ink is salty, so you probably won’t need to add more salt to the aioli.
If at all possible, use fresh calamari and ask the fishmonger to clean them for you. You can buy squid ink from your fishmonger or grocery stores such as Whole Foods, although you may have to order in advance.
Wine Pairing: Prosecco, Champagne, or a vintage California sparkling wine
AIOLI NERO
1 cup dry white wine
1 shallot, finely sliced lengthwise and julienned
¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1½ tablespoons squid ink (see Resources)