Polenta Casserole with Vegetable Ragout
Ingredients for 4 Serves
For the Polenta Casserole 360 ml water 100 g yellow polenta or whole grain polenta flour 2 eggs 1 small sprig of rosemary 2 sprigs of thyme 60 g Parmesan cheese Salt, pepper
For the Vegetable Ragout 80 g onions 80 g carrots 80 g celeriac 80 g leek 2 tbsp olive oil 20 g tomato paste 50 ml Lagrein (red wine) 500 ml vegetable stock
For the Vegetable Stock 1 carrot 1 medium onion 1/2 stalk of celery 1/2 celeriac 1 garlic clove 2 sprigs of parsley 1 sprig of rosemary 1 bay leaf 5 basil leaves 2 L water
Preparation Salt the water and bring it to a boil. Stir in the polenta and let it simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread the polenta onto a tray and let it cool. Separate the eggs. Finely chop the rosemary and thyme. Stir the egg yolks and Parmesan into the polenta, season with salt, pepper, and the herbs. Beat the egg whites until stiff and gently fold them into the mixture. Fill the mixture into buttered and floured soufflé molds and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) for about 20 minutes.
Clean the onions, carrots, celeriac, and leek. Sauté the onions in olive oil until golden yellow, then add the remaining vegetables and tomato paste. Briefly roast everything together, then deglaze with red wine. Add the vegetable stock and let the ragout simmer for about 20 minutes. If necessary, thicken with a bit of cornstarch dissolved in water.
To finish: Spoon the vegetable ragout onto deep plates, place the polenta casserole on top, and sprinkle with mountain cheese.
Vegetable stock: Clean and roughly chop the carrot, onion, celery stalk, and celeriac. Place in a pot with the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 2 hours. Strain through a fine sieve. Tip: The vegetable stock can be prepared in advance and frozen in portions.
