PARMESAN POLENTA WITH CRICKET RAGU

Serves: 2

Time: 60 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Ragu:

Olive Oil – 2 tbsp

Banana Shallot – 1

Garlic Cloves – 3

Small Carrot - 1

Celery Sticks – 2

Dried Bay Leaf – 1

Tomato Puree – 1 ½ tbsp

Parmesan Rind – 1

Red Wine – 50ml

Chopped Tomatoes – 400g

Vegetable Stock – 200ml

Sun-dried Tomatoes (the kind in oil) - 2

Sugar – ¼ tsp

Salt and black pepper

Crickets:

Butter – 15g

Garlic Clove – 1

Salt and black pepper

Polenta:

Milk – 300ml

Water – 375ml

Quick Cooking Polenta – 125g

Parmesan Cheese – 60g (plus extra to serve)

Butter – 20g

Salt and black pepper

Flat Leaf Parsley – 2 tbsp

MAKE THE RAGU | 50 mins

Finely dice the shallot, garlic cloves, carrot, celery sticks, and sun-dried tomatoes.
In a large pan, heat the olive oil, then add the shallot, garlic, and bay leaf.
Sweat it over medium heat until just softening, then add the carrot and celery. Continue to cook, stirring frequently until the onion is soft and translucent, then add the parmesan rind and the tomato puree.
Stir to coat everything in the tomato puree, then cook it out for a minute.
Add the red wine followed by the tinned tomatoes and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the parmesan rind and the bay leaf, then add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and the sugar.
Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

PREPARE THE CRICKETS | 3 mins

Very finely dice the garlic.
Heat the butter in a frying pan until just melted, then add the garlic and stir fry over medium heat for 1 minute until softened and fragrant, but not coloured.
Add the crickets then stir fry for a further minute.
Remove it from the heat and season with salt and black pepper.

MAKE THE POLENTA | 10 mins

Bring the milk and water to a boil in a medium saucepan, then whisk in the polenta.
Whisk it constantly, over medium heat, until thickened to a porridge consistency. This should take just a minute or two.
Remove it from the heat and beat in the butter and cheese.
Season very generously with salt and black pepper. (If it is too thick, loosen it with boiling water - as it cools it will thicken so you need to serve it straight away)

SERVE | 5 mins

Spoon the polenta out onto warmed plates (it’s worth warming the plates for this dish, just to prevent the polenta from cooling too quickly).
Stir the crickets into the ragu, then spoon it over the polenta.
Top with the parsley and grated parmesan, and serve immediately.