Skip to main content

Poached Eggs on Asparagus Bundled with Prosciutto on Cheesy Polenta for #BrunchWeek2016 #sponsor


Here we are at day two of one of my favorite blogging weeks of the year: Brunch Week. Every year, Terri of Love and Confections coordinates a multi-blogger, multi-day celebration of all things brunch. This year Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures is co-hosting. And I challenge myself to post everyday, getting creative with all of the sponsor goodies we receive for participating. It's so much fun.

If you've been following me for even a little while, you know that I gravitate towards the savory side of things. When I received the generous sponsor package from Cabot Cheese I knew exactly what I was going to make: cheesy polenta. It's a family favorite and on our table at least every couple of weeks.


I picked the white oak cheddar and paired it with fire roasted green chiles and some fennel pollen.


The word fennel comes from the Latin word fenum meaning 'hay' which might describe its sweet, grassy smell. Charlemagne is credited with introducing fennel into central Europe. And this aromatic plant is found in Greek mythology and Italian folklore. Fennel is purported to have bestowed immortality in the Greek legend of Prometheus. Roman women believed that eating fennel reduced obesity. Pliny wrote about fennel as a cure for many complaints and for improving sight. And, to keep away ghosts, keyholes were stuffed with fennel seeds.


Before I get on with the recipe, I want to talk about the cheese grater I received from Cabot Cheese. When I first looked at it, I thought: oh, it's cute, but I won't use that. I have so many cheese graters. But it turns out I was wrong. It's the perfect size for grating and - here's the best part - it's easy to clean because it's completely open on the back, unlike my box grater that is a torture to clean. So excited to use this! 


This is a multiple part dish, but the polenta can be done ahead of time and everything else comes together in a jiffy.

Ingredients serves 4

Cheesy Polenta
  • 1 C polenta
  • 2-1/2 C warm water
  • 1/2 C orange juice
  • 1 T honey
  • 1 small can of fire roasted green chiles
  • 2 C shredded aged cheddar (prefer Cabot Cheese), divided into 1-1/2 C and 1/2 C
  • 2 T butter
  • freshly ground sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • fennel pollen
.
Asparagus Bundles
  • 20 thin asparagus spears, trimmed
  • 4 pieces of prosciutto

Poached Eggs
  • 4 to 8 eggs, depending on if you're serving 1 or 2 eggs per person 
  • water

Serving
  • freshly ground pepper
  • freshly ground salt
  • fennel pollen


Procedure

Cheesy Polenta
Bring water, orange juice, and honey to a boil in a large saucepan. Add freshly ground salt and freshly ground pepper. Gradually whisk in the polenta. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring constantly, approximately 15 to 20 minutes

Remove from the heat, stir in butter, green chiles, and 1-1/2 C shredded cheddar. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Spoon into a buttered pan. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and fennel pollen. Let cool. Once cool, cover and refrigerate overnight.

When you're ready to serve, cut the polenta into squares or diamonds. Place them on a silicone or parchment-lined baking sheet. Heat till warmed through in the oven.


Asparagus Bundles
Quickly blanch the asparagus. Drain. Let cool until you can touch it comfortably.

Heat the oven to broil and place a rack about 5 to 6 inches below the heating element. 

Brunch 4 to 5 asparagus together and wrap each bundle with 1 slice of prosciutto in a downward spiral toward the cut end, barely overlapping the edges of the prosciutto. Place on a silicone or parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat, leaving as much space as possible between each bundle.

Broil for 3 minutes. Flip the asparagus over and return to the oven. Broil until the asparagus is charred in spots and the prosciutto is crisped and browned, approximately 3 more minutes.


Poached Eggs
Fill a saucepan with 3 to 4 inches of water. Bring water to a boil, then lower the heat until the water is at a simmer. Crack eggs into the simmering water. Turn off the heat and cover the pan. Let sit for 4 minutes. This results in eggs whose whites are completely cooked and the yolks are still runny. See photo above!

Gently lift the poached eggs out of the pan with a slotted spoon and serve.


Serving
Lay your polenta pieces on a plate. Place the asparagus bundle on top. Plate the poached egg next to the polenta. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fennel pollen. Serve immediately.

The Other Bloggers' Recipes
Get ready to be inspired!

BrunchWeek Beverages:
BrunchWeek Breads, Grains and Pastries:
BrunchWeek Fruits, Vegetables and Sides:
BrunchWeek Egg Dishes:
BrunchWeek Main Dishes:
BrunchWeek Desserts:

The Giveaway
Many thanks to the #BrunchWeek sponsors whose ingredients were used in the creation of this recipe. Thank you, Cabot Cheese!

Don't forget to visit my kick-off post and enter the huge giveaway: here!


Disclaimer - Thank you to #BrunchWeek Sponsors: Red Star Yeast, Dixie Crystals, Cabot Cheese, Vidalia Onion Committee, Sage Fruits, Nielsen-Massey, KitchenIQ, and Le Creuset for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #BrunchWeek. All opinions are my own.

Comments

  1. I want this right now!!! It looks so tasty!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This looks great Cam....I have never made polenta nor have I had it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love polenta and eggs. They're like a perfect pair for me.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Such a wonderful combination of flavors. Sounds perfect.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Meyer Lemon Custard-Filled Matcha Turtles #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our  Pinterest board  right here. Links are also updated after each event on the  Bread Bakers home page .  We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Stacy of Food Lust People Love  is hosting and she wrote: "Your bread can be large, as in one big animal, or small - animal-shaped rolls. Use your imagination! Points for flavor and shape!" If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. Here's the animal-shaped bread basket from the #BreadBakers... Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum Pandas from Karen's Kitchen Stories Bird Bread Rolls from Ambrosia Easter Bunny Buns from Cook with Renu Ham and Cheese Elephant Rolls from Food Lust People Love Hedgehog Bread from Making Mir

Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles group is looking at affordable wines from Burgundy.  Host Cindy of Grape Experiences wrote: "Burgundy, or Bourgogne, is known for its wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir... as well as Aligote, Gamay, Sauvignon, César, Pinot Beurot, Sacy, Melon in lesser quantities. Many of the well-known wines are quite expensive, but there are plenty of values to be found." Read her invitation here. And there won't be a Twitter chat for this event, so you will have to dive into the articles themselves to read about our pairings and findings. Here's the line-up... Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2018 Paired with a Maple Pecan Chicken . Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares her love of Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé. Jeff Burrows of FoodWineClick! explains why we should Look t

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients  makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce