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Polenta Squares with Prosciutto

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 48

Ingredients

Coarse salt
2 cups yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
6 slices prosciutto, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Freshly ground pepper
6 ounces Taleggio cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (48 pieces)
Fresh marjoram sprigs, for garnish

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring 7 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan; add 4 teaspoons salt. Whisking constantly, add the cornmeal, a little at a time. Reduce the heat to medium-low; cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pan and is very thick, about 25 minutes.

    Step 2

    Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat until hot but not smoking. Add the prosciutto and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the prosciutto is slightly crisp, about 5 minutes; stir into the polenta. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

    Step 3

    Pour the polenta mixture into a 9 × 13-inch baking pan; smooth with a dampened spatula. Let cool at least 1 hour.

    Step 4

    If not serving the polenta immediately, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use (or overnight).

    Step 5

    Trim 1/4 inch from all sides of the polenta. Cut into 48 squares. Preheat the broiler with the rack 5 inches from the heat. Lightly brush a metal baking pan with oil; heat under the broiler 30 seconds. In batches, broil the squares in the pan, 2 minutes. Place a cheese cube on each square; season with pepper. Broil until the cheese is melted, about 1 1/2 minutes. Garnish with marjoram sprigs.

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Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group. Buy the full book from Amazon.
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