Gino's salsicce e polenta, or sausage polenta
Gino continues his Alpine adventure riding with huskies, visiting a local goat farm and tasting some local delicacies in a restaurant on the slopes before cooking a sausage ragu with polenta.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 large onion, finely sliced6 tbsp olive oil6 Italian sausages, with fennel, chopped into 2cm slices100g chestnut mushrooms, sliced100g oyster mushrooms, sliced100g porcini mushrooms, sliced (use dried if out of season)100g pitted black Kalamata olives, in olive oil200ml beef stockKnob of butter30g plain flour400g quick-cook polenta1 litre of vegetable stock, (or as much as your polenta packet recommends)200g pecorino cheese, grated
You'll need
Large saucepanMedium saucepanWooden board
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion, sausages and mushrooms over a medium heat for 8 minutes until golden, stirring occasionally.
Add the olives, season with salt and freshly grated black pepper, add the beef stock and simmer for about 10 minutes over a medium heat.
Dip the knob of butter into the plain flour, then add to the sauce and stir, allowing the sauce to thicken very slowly.
While the sauce is thickening, put the polenta and the vegetable stock into another medium saucepan and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens.
Stir in the pecorino, season with salt and pepper and stir well. The polenta should not be too stiff. Add some hot water, if necessary.
Turn out onto a wooden board. Spoon the sausages and sauce over the polenta and serve immediately.
With thanks to
Gino cooked at Auberge de la Maison
Goat's cheese farm The Agriturismo Le Reve