Shrimp and Polenta Stacks with Brown Butter

Unbelievably delicious! Grilled shrimp sir on top of tender stacks of polenta, all drenched with a nutty brown butter sage sauce.

Why I used to be so intimidated by polenta is absolutely beyond me. Each time I make it, I am rewarded with a dish that's full on flavor, but low on effort. When I decided to engage in a Foodie Fight a couple of months ago, I stepped out of my comfort zone and came up with Eggplant & White Wine Polenta Stacks with Fresh Basil Sauce. What is it about polenta that inspires me to stack things? I blame it on my Lego-deprived youth. Between polenta and my sons' newly discovered infatuation with Lego starships, I feel as though I have completed at least one year of an architecture degree. If you have ever put together Anakin Skywalker's Y-Wing Starfighter, you know what I'm talking about. This time I took it one step further and grilled the polenta squares, which highlighted the savory taste of the Parmesan cheese. Heaped with shrimp sauteed with garlic and drenched in a toasty brown butter and sage sauce, the polenta turned from a simple bag of cornmeal into a very special meal.

The polenta:

Heat 2 ⅔ cups water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and add 1 cup cornmeal (may be labelled as polenta on the package). Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the polenta is very thick and pulls away from the side of the saucepan, about 15 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Transfer the polenta to a medium bowl and add 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces, and ½ cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan cheese. Stir well.

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Pat the Parmesan polenta into a square, about ½-inch thick. If the polenta sticks to your fingers as you're patting it, dampen your fingers slightly.

Cover the polenta with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours, and up to 2 days.

The Shrimp

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 cloves garlic, minced, and saute for 15-20 seconds. If you cook the garlic for longer than this, you risk burning it, which will give you dish a bitter flavor. Add 1 ½ pounds shrimp, shelled and deveined (there are less shrimp shown in this photo because I was making only two servings).

Saute the shrimp until the shrimp is just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.

The Stacks & the Sauce

Place one polenta square on each of four plates. Top each with about 3 shrimp.

Divide the remaining polenta squares among the four servings. Top with the rest of the shrimp.

While the polenta is cooking, add 8 tablespoons (½ cup) unsalted butter to the skillet used for the shrimp, set over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage and cook until the butter turns golden brown.

Season the sauce, to taste, with salt, and spoon it over the shrimp and polenta stacks. Serve immediately.

Other polenta recipes:

Simply Recipes' Polenta Sausage Mozzarella Casserole

Fat-Free Vegan's Polenta Lasagna with Portabellas & Kale

Kath Eats Real Food's Mexican Polenta Casserole

Garlic Shrimp & Parmesan Polenta Stacks with Brown Butter-Sage Sauce

Polenta:

2 ⅔ cups water

1 cup cornmeal (coarse-ground recommended)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoon butter

½ cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan cheese

Shrimp:

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ pounds shrimp, shelled & deveined

Sauce:

8 tablespoon (½ cup) unsalted butter

2 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

Salt to taste

The polenta:

Heat water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and add polenta. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the polenta is very thick and pulls away from the side of the saucepan, about 15 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer the polenta to a medium bowl and add 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces, and Parmesan cheese. Stir well. Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Pat the Parmesan polenta into a square, about ½-inch thick. If the polenta sticks to your fingers as you're patting it, dampen your fingers slightly. Cover the polenta with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours, and up to 2 days.

The shrimp:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute for 15-20 seconds. If you cook the garlic for longer than this, you risk burning it, which will give you dish a bitter flavor. Add shrimp and saute until the shrimp is just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.

The sauce:

Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Cut the polenta into 8 even squares and place on the grill. Cook until the polenta squares have light grill marks and are heated through, about 2 minutes per side. Place one polenta square on each of four plates. Top each with about 3 shrimp. Divide the remaining polenta squares among the four servings. Top with the rest of the shrimp.

While the polenta is cooking, add ½ cup unsalted butter to the skillet used for the shrimp, set over medium heat. Add sage and cook until the butter turns golden brown. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt, and spoon it over the shrimp and polenta stacks. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

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