Polenta Dumplings?

It’s funny how your mind works. It’s even funnier when your stomach starts to work for you. I was starving last night during class. I wanted to cook a big pot of mashed potatoes and have a beer to wash it down. But Chef Emi had other ideas. She threw us into the already 90 degree kitchen to figure out what to do with Polenta, black eyed peas, pinto beans and make a pasta dough.

Pasta dough was quick and easy. I was not fancy like the other students; I just wanted simple egg pasta. Got that in the fridge and will be used in Monday’s class.

Polenta was another story. Polenta cooks up very quickly, and really I had no idea what to do with the cooked Polenta. Others were throwing veggies in theirs, cheese, spices. Mine was the “KISS” method. Layered it into a sheet pan to get it cooled down and firmed up, No fancy stuff.

I started a seeping of apricots, fresh chopped ginger, garlic and the pinto beans with some wine, and chicken stock. I know weird. But I wanted dumplings with a spicy soy sauce (Stomach was talking again) Dried beans takes forever to cook by the way. Start early! So while that mess was cooking, I put together a red Spanish Romesco sauce, threw in a whole bunch of spice, and chilled it down. (Beans are not done, hard as a rock) I went and put together my spicy dumpling sauce. (BEANS are like stones in the middle of this boiling mess)

Cleaned up some, and started to do a panic dance because Sous Chef Ashley announced plate up at 7:30p. BEANS are just a little soft. Turn the heat up, got my Polenta out and cut the thing like I am a pro; (WHAT A SURPRISE IT WORKED) floured both sides of my cuts and quickly fried them up. (I can actually not break a tooth on the beans). Threw the hot bean mess into the freezer, to chill down grabbed my Spanish Romesco sauce. I toyed with the idea of cheese or no cheese for the Polenta. (What is that noise? Oh it’s the tummy talking again) No cheese. Heated up the sauce, and plated it up with my cut and fried Polenta.

Ran to the freezer got my bean mess, stuffed some dumplings together and fried them up. I never plated so fast in my life. I think it could have been prettier if I took the time, but nooo “mean” Sous Chef Ashley is like counting down the seconds like Iron Chef or something.

Forget about eating now, we now have to cleanup. The Polenta and sauce tasted great. I never got to try the dumplings since “greedy” Sous Chef Ashley ate them all. Did I learn anything? You bet start the beans first, then the Polenta, stop panicking and wear nothing under the chef’s jacket; I might be a little cooler next time.

Love you Ashley, “you were the bestest, meanest, greediest Sous Chef ever” and don’t let anyone else tell you different.