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Charred Peppers and Fresh Corn Polenta with Soy-Cured Yolk

by , featured in Ottolenghi FLAVOUR
Published by Ebury Press
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Introduction

Curing yolks in soy, as we do here, adds creaminess, complexity and a hit of umami to this polenta. It's a nifty technique to add to your repertoire and the process couldn't be simpler. You can use these to top any grain-based dishes, such as pasta or rice, or to top thick soups. Good-quality eggs, preferably organic with rich yolks, are best here, as they will be eaten raw. Roast and marinate the peppers up to 3 days before, if you like. The polenta will set quite quickly, so it is best made just before serving.

Curing yolks in soy, as we do here, adds creaminess, complexity and a hit of umami to this polenta. It's a nifty technique to add to your repertoire and the process couldn't be simpler. You can use these to top any grain-based dishes, such as pasta or rice, or to top thick soups. Good-quality eggs, preferably organic with rich yolks, are best here, as they will be eaten raw. Roast and marinate the peppers up to 3 days before, if you like. The polenta will set quite quickly, so it is best made just before serving.

Image of Charred peppers and fresh corn polenta with soy-cured yolk
Photo by Jonathan Lovekin

Ingredients

Serves: 4

Metric Cups
  • 70 millilitres soy sauce
  • 4 eggs (good-quality, rich-yolk)
  • 12 small mixed red, orange and yellow Romano peppers (stalks left on 1.1kg)
  • 1 bulb of garlic (top fifth cut off to expose the cloves, plus 2 extra cloves, skin left on and crushed with the side of a knife)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 10 grams thyme sprigs
  • 1 lemon (finely grate the zest to get ½ tsp, then finely shave the remaining skin to get 5 strips)
  • 60 millilitres olive oil (plus extra to serve)
  • 5 grams basil (finely shredded)
  • salt and black pepper

Polenta

  • sweetcorn cobs small (kernels shaved off (500g), or 500g frozen corn kernels, defrosted)
  • Greek yoghurt
  • grated Parmesan (finely grated, plus extra to serve)
  • polenta (quick-cook)
  • 70 millilitres soy sauce
  • 4 eggs (good-quality, rich-yolk)
  • 12 small mixed red, orange and yellow Romano peppers (stalks left on 1.1kg)
  • 1 head of garlic (top fifth cut off to expose the cloves, plus 2 extra cloves, skin left on and crushed with the side of a knife)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 10 grams thyme sprigs
  • 1 lemon (finely grate the zest to get ½ tsp, then finely shave the remaining skin to get 5 strips)
  • 60 millilitres olive oil (plus extra to serve)
  • 5 grams basil (finely shredded)
  • salt and black pepper

Polenta

  • 4 sweetcorn cobs small (kernels shaved off (500g), or 500g frozen corn kernels, defrosted)
  • 180 grams Greek yoghurt
  • 40 grams grated Parmesan (finely grated, plus extra to serve)
  • 100 grams polenta (quick-cook)

Method

Charred Peppers and Fresh Corn Polenta with Soy-Cured Yolk is a guest recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe

  1. Put the soy sauce into a medium bowl. Separate the eggs, carefully adding the yolks to the bowl of soy sauce. Reserve the whites for another recipe. Leave the yolks to cure for a minimum of 1 hour, and up to 2 hours, very gently turning them halfway with a spoon. Don't cure the yolks for any longer - you want them to be soft and oozy.
  2. Preheat the oven to 220°C fan.
  3. Place the peppers on a large, parchment-lined baking tray, spread out as much as possible. Sprinkle the whole garlic bulb with a little salt and pepper and wrap it tightly in foil. Place on the tray with the peppers and roast for 20 minutes, then carefully turn the peppers over and roast the peppers and garlic for another 10 minutes, until the peppers are cooked through and blackened in places. We like the skin, but if you prefer to peel the peppers, do this now. Place the peppers in a large bowl with the crushed raw garlic, maple syrup, vinegar, thyme, lemon strips, oil, ¼ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Once cool enough to handle, unwrap the cooked garlic and squeeze the cloves out into the bowl with the peppers, discarding the papery skin. Gently mix the peppers, keeping the stalks intact, then cover with a large plate and leave to marinate for at least an hour, or overnight.
  4. For the polenta, put the corn into a food processor and blitz to a wet paste. Transfer to a large sauté pan on a medium heat with the butter, yoghurt, Parmesan, 1¾ teaspoons of salt and 600ml of water. Cook for 7 minutes, then turn the heat down as low as it will go and sprinkle in the polenta, stirring continuously to avoid lumps for another 5 minutes, until cooked.
  5. Divide the polenta between four bowls, then top with three peppers each, drizzling some of the marinade over, but avoiding the aromatics. Carefully lift a yolk out of the soy sauce and place on the polenta, next to the peppers. Finish with a good drizzle of oil, along with the basil, lemon zest, a sprinkle of salt, a good grind of pepper and some freshly grated Parmesan.
  1. Put the soy sauce into a medium bowl. Separate the eggs, carefully adding the yolks to the bowl of soy sauce. Reserve the whites for another recipe. Leave the yolks to cure for a minimum of 1 hour, and up to 2 hours, very gently turning them halfway with a spoon. Don't cure the yolks for any longer - you want them to be soft and oozy.
  2. Preheat the oven to 220°C fan.
  3. Place the peppers on a large, parchment-lined baking tray, spread out as much as possible. Sprinkle the whole garlic bulb with a little salt and pepper and wrap it tightly in foil. Place on the tray with the peppers and roast for 20 minutes, then carefully turn the peppers over and roast the peppers and garlic for another 10 minutes, until the peppers are cooked through and blackened in places. We like the skin, but if you prefer to peel the peppers, do this now. Place the peppers in a large bowl with the crushed raw garlic, maple syrup, vinegar, thyme, lemon strips, oil, ¼ teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Once cool enough to handle, unwrap the cooked garlic and squeeze the cloves out into the bowl with the peppers, discarding the papery skin. Gently mix the peppers, keeping the stalks intact, then cover with a large plate and leave to marinate for at least an hour, or overnight.
  4. For the polenta, put the corn into a food processor and blitz to a wet paste. Transfer to a large sauté pan on a medium heat with the butter, yoghurt, Parmesan, 1¾ teaspoons of salt and 600ml of water. Cook for 7 minutes, then turn the heat down as low as it will go and sprinkle in the polenta, stirring continuously to avoid lumps for another 5 minutes, until cooked.
  5. Divide the polenta between four bowls, then top with three peppers each, drizzling some of the marinade over, but avoiding the aromatics. Carefully lift a yolk out of the soy sauce and place on the polenta, next to the peppers. Finish with a good drizzle of oil, along with the basil, lemon zest, a sprinkle of salt, a good grind of pepper and some freshly grated Parmesan.

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What 1 Other has said

  • very nice recipe for charred peppers and fresh corn polenta with soy cured yolk. umami is really the fifth taste in all taste, it makes food tasty, using umami for cooking also make food fast and delicious.

    Posted by sharonallen21 on 5th March 2021
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