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

by 33 Comments

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

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 2/3 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 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
Transfer the polenta to a medium bowl and add 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces, and 1/2 cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan cheese. Stir well.

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Pat the Parmesan polenta into a square, about 1/2-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 1/2 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
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 8 tablespoons (1/2 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:
Kath Eats Real Food’s Mexican Polenta Casserole 

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

Polenta:
2 2/3 cups water
1 cup cornmeal (coarse-ground recommended)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan cheese
Shrimp:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, shelled & deveined
Sauce:
8 tbsp (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
2 tbsp 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 1/2-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 1/2 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.

 

 

Comments

  1. Jenn says

    I still need to try making polenta for myself. Gasp! I know I'm surely missing out on something really good.

    I'm loving that brown butter-sage sauce. Simple yet so effective in this. Yum!!

    Reply

  2. Ravenous Couple says

    ashamed to say it, but never had polenta until recently–they're delicious and yours look exactly like the ones we had…def. will have to try one day

    Reply

  6. Divina Pe says

    I love shrimps and polenta. You created an entire different dish. I love the soft polenta with shrimps on top but this has a fresher approach with great flavors.

    Reply

  8. Tasty Eats At Home says

    I love polenta. And, I also happen to love shrimp, butter, sage…okay so I love this dish! Yum!

    Reply

  9. Diana Bauman says

    I made polenta YEARS ago. Problem was, I bought premade and hated it! I'm definitely trying this! Thanks Dara!

    Reply

  10. The Chickenless Chick says

    Well, I have not put together a Y-Wing fighter, but if it's as challenging as stacking a layer of polenta on top of such plump juicy shrimp, I'll give you an honorary architecture diploma right now. Let's see, where did I put my Sharpies and glitter paint…?

    Reply

  12. Jessie says

    talk about gorgeous dish! this looks like a meal out of a 5 star restaurant. I love how you plated the food and best of all everything looks delicious

    Reply

  15. Cathy says

    Oh yum. Maybe these pics will help me with my polenta imparement. :0 I can't seem to get it right.

    Reply

  16. wasabi prime says

    What a great reminder to take advantage of the sage we have in the yard! Brown butter + sage = match made in heaven!

    Reply

  19. Cookin' Canuck says

    Thanks so much for all of your comments! I can't keep up with you guys!

    Diana, please give polenta another try, but not the premade version. Polenta from scratch is much tastier, plus you can add in your own seasonings.

    Cathy, give it another try. You can get the hang of it!

    Reply

  20. CheapAppetite says

    What a great looking dish! I love the detail you add to the dish like grilled polenta. Yummy

    Reply

  21. Heather in SF says

    Yum! You've taken a childhood favorite of shrimp and grits and elevated it to high art!! Love your shrimp to polenta ratio; speaking as one who can eat her bodyweight in shrimp (wink wink). Your pictures are gorgeous.

    Reply

  22. pegasuslegend says

    Very elegant and gourmet' awesome presentation…. Top 9 in your future on this one for sure!

    Reply

  23. Fresh Local and Best says

    This dish looks so elegant and fancy! I'm glad to know that there is minimal effort involved.

    Reply

  24. MaryMoh says

    I have not tried polenta before. Heard about it though. But this dish looks so pretty and delicious that I would love to try.

    Reply

  25. Lea Ann says

    This is very impressive. I love polenta and will have to give this a try. The sauce sounds wonderful!
    Actually, the whole thing sounds wonderful.

    Reply

  27. Kitchen Wizard says

    This looks wonderful! I just got some polenta and shrimp, so I have to make this tonight or tomorrow…
    BTW, you are coming to the Festival, right? Look forward to meeting you in person!

    Reply

  28. Karen says

    Excellent! Need to get my sage used up before the first frost. This'll definately do just fine 😀

    Reply

  29. Christine says

    Your dish is so tempting. I have to learn to step out of my comfort zone and try polenta. To me, the main problem is not knowing how to handle it and give it a good presentation to entice my family. Your dish is an excellent demonstration. I think my family would definitely love it.

    Reply

  30. Laura says

    I love polenta, and pared with the sage sauce… amazing. Simple and delicious. I love the coarse grind, give you more texture, only for baking i use the fine grind.

    Reply

  33. Chef Fresco says

    Fit for a gourmet restaurant! I've been wanting to cook w. polenta for a while – good recipe!

    Reply

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