The Best of Fine Cooking — Real Italian 2017

side dishes

roasted carrots and shallots

with oil-cured olives and

gremolata

The sweet earthiness of the carrots pairs perfectly

with the briny flavor of the olives. (See the photo on

p. 64.) Serves 6

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Zest of 1 medium lemon, finely chopped (11/2 to 2 Tbs.)

1 tsp. minced garlic

2 lb. medium carrots

1 cup 1/4 -inch-thick-sliced shallot rounds

(3 or 4 medium shallots)

1 Tbs. fresh thyme leaves

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup pitted and thinly sliced oil-cured olives

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the

oven to 425°F.

Toss the parsley, lemon zest, and garlic in a bowl, cover

with plastic wrap, and set aside. This mixture is called

gremolata.

Peel the carrots and slice in half lengthwise. Cut the

carrots so that they are of equal size. Put the carrots on

a large rimmed baking sheet and toss with the shallots,

thyme, olive oil, salt, and several grinds of pepper. Arrange

the carrots in a single layer.

Roast the carrots, tossing occasionally, until they are

tender and ever so slightly browned, 20 to 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven, add the olives, and sprinkle with

the gremolata. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper

to taste. Pass the remaining gremolata at the table.

cut evenly

It’s very important that you cut the carrots in pieces of

about the same size. Unevenly sized pieces won’t roast and

brown in the same amount of time, and you’ll end up with

both overroasted and underroasted vegetables.

herbed ricotta polenta

Creamy-sweet ricotta and tender summer herbs give this

polenta a sunny flavor profile, making it an excellent match

for a simple roast chicken or seared steaks. Serves 8

11 oz. (2 cups) polenta (not

instant or quick-cooking)

3 cups boiling water

3 cups lower-salt chicken broth

or water; more as needed

Fine sea salt

1 packed cup fresh basil

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-

leaf parsley

1 to 2 Tbs. loosely packed fresh

marjoram

2 oz. (2 cups) finely grated

Parmigiano-Reggiano

or Grana Padano; more

for serving

1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta

11/2 oz. (3 Tbs.) unsalted butter,

cut into 6 pieces

Freshly ground black pepper

SOaK THE POLEnTa

Put the polenta in a 4-quart

heavy-duty saucepan and whisk

in the boiling water. Cover and

let sit at room temperature for at

least 8 and up to 12 hours.

COOK THE POLEnTa

in a 2-quart saucepan, bring the

broth to a boil. Whisk the broth

and 1 tsp. salt into the polenta,

loosening it and breaking up

any clumps. Bring to a boil over

medium-high heat, whisking once

or twice, about 5 minutes.

Turn the heat down to main-

tain a simmer and continue cook-

ing, whisking constantly, until the

polenta thickens from soupy to

porridge-like, about 2 minutes.

Turn the heat down to low.

Cover and cook, stirring vigor-

ously and scraping the bottom of

the pan with a wooden spoon or

spatula every couple of minutes.

When you can see the bottom

of the pan as you drag the spoon

across it, 5 to 10 minutes later,

begin tasting the polenta; it’s

done when it’s thick, creamy, and

tender. it should be granular but

not gritty.

While the polenta cooks, pulse

the basil, parsley, and marjoram

in a food processor until finely

chopped, about seven 1-second

pulses; don’t overprocess into

a paste.

Remove the polenta from the

heat, and stir in the cheeses,

butter, chopped herbs, and

½ tsp. pepper until the butter

is melted. Season to taste and

serve right away, passing more

Parmigiano or Grana Padano at

the table.

Make ahead:

After soaking the polenta at room

temperature, you can refrigerate

it, covered, for up to 2 days.

66 ReAl iTAliAn 2017