Posted by Mindy Lvoff
Besides an impromptu margarita tasting during last week’s Hydrocolloids Intensive class, Nils and Dave also discovered a new recipe for polenta—one that doesn’t require the use of dried polenta, or any grains whatsoever. Instead, Nils and Dave use gellan, Kelcogel F (aka: low acyl), to turn a full-flavored chicken, porcini, and parmesan broth with melted butter into a new, creamy and decadent version of the classic. Â Once cold-set, this polenta can be reheated and then served hot since gellan is heat stable. It also has the added benefit of having good flavor release. Â Delicious, hot, creamy polenta… what else do you want?
Dave whisked calcium gluconate and gellan into cold stock and then used an immersion blender to disperse it while bringing it up to a boil.
Once boiled and hydrated, he whisked melted butter into the gellan stock before pouring it into a 6-pan to set over an ice bath.
For service, we heated the polenta folded in sliced fava beans and grated parmesan. Â Garnished with celery leaf, it was a fabulous complement to veal scallopini (veal and scallop meat-glued together, sliced and seared to perfection) and pickled cherry tomato.
Porcini-Chicken-Parmesan Gellan Polenta
300g Chicken-Polenta-Parmesan stock (cold)
200g Melted Butter
5g Calcium Gluconate
3g Kelcogel F (low acyl)
1) Whisk calcium gluconate and gellan into cold stock. Shear using an immersion blender. Bring mixture to a boil.
2) Whisk in melted butter. Place mixture in 6-pan and set over icebath to set. Once set, fluff mixture with fork.
3) For service, reheat and re-season if necessary. Fold in sliced fava beans and grated parmesan if desired.