Tit for tat: Polenta Pizza for One

I was all set to post a different polenta recipe today, one I made last week but in the midst of a busy couple days hadn’t managed to write about yet. But this morning I wandered on over to a favourite blog of mine, and a pleasant surprise changed my plans.

Tiina of Sparkling Ink had recently posted, as she is wont to do, a delicious-looking recipe: Roasted Veggies and pangrattato. Inspired by my own Roast Veg with Nutty, Spicy Pangrattato, Tiina’s version changes things up a bit (and looks a lot prettier, thanks to her gorgeous photos- annoying, no?).

I love this facet of the food blogging community. We’re all constantly inspiring each other, passing along recipes, sometimes with subtle or significant changes, which make our blogosphere a big foodie melting pot. I love my cookbooks, but I honestly don’t know where I’d be without my food blogs. Probably eating pasta every night, with pizza on Fridays. Well… not too bad, then.

Anyhow, browsing the front page of Tiina’s blog, I found some inspiration of my own. Deep Dish Polenta Pizza looked like it was calling my name, as a mash-up of an old favourite and a current obsession. I figured a scaled-back, single-serve version was just the ticket for today’s lunch, so I headed straight into the kitchen and made one.

I’ve got a confession to make: I used instant polenta for this dish. *hangs head in shame* I use the Merchant Gourmet brand and it’s… not bad. While I’m sure “proper polenta” is much, much tastier, the idea of stirring a pot of violently bubbling liquid for forty to forty-five minutes is a bit too much for this kitchenist. Especially for lunch.

So, the instant it was. Four minutes of stirring, a little seasoning and the polenta made a perfect pizza base. I topped it with some sautéed kale, red onion and sun-dried tomatoes, and added some mozzarella and parmesan cheese for good measure. After 20 minutes in the oven, the edges of my “pizza” were crispy and the cheese melted. My lunch was delicious and so filling that I’m still full. Thanks for the inspiration, Tiina!

Polenta Pizza for One

makes one 7″ pizza

For the polenta base: 

• 200ml water
• 50g instant polenta
• 1 Tbs. grated parmesan
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste

For the pizza: 

• 2 Tbs. tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped and cooked kale (boiled or sautéed in a little olive oil)
• 1 Tbs. thinly sliced red onion
• 1 Tbs. chopped sundried tomatoes (the kind packed in oil)
• grated mozzarella
• shaves parmesan

1.  To make the polenta, bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the polenta in a steady stream, mixing quickly as you do so. Stir continuously for about four minutes, until the polenta is thickened and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. Stir in the parmesan, salt and pepper.
2.  Spoon the polenta onto a parchment- or silicone-covered baking sheet, and roughly spread to a thickness of about 1/2″. Allow cooling while you prepare the toppings.

   Note: Feel free to use regular, long-cook polenta for this recipe if you like. You’re aiming for about 1 cup of thick polenta, enough to make a 7″ diameter, 1/2″ thick circle. 

3.  Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Spread the tomato sauce over the pizza base, and follow with the toppings. Sprinkle the cheese over top and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and browned in places, and the edges of the base are crispy. Serve immediately.