Recipes : Eggplant Stew with Honey and Golden Raisin Polenta : Food Network

	Print 3x5 Recipe Cards
	Print this recipe out and cut along the dotted lines to add this 3x5 recipe card to your personal collection.

Eggplant Stew with Honey and Golden Raisin Polenta
Recipe courtesy Rachel Ray

Ingredients
1-ounce dried porcini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 quart chicken stock, divided
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 red onion, chopped, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
3 to 4 celery stalks, cut into bite sized pieces
2 cubanelle peppers, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped into bite sized pieces
2 eggplants, peeled of half the skin, cut into bite-sized cubes

1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes (recommended: San Marzano)
1 cup milk
Handful golden raisins
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
1 cup quick cooking polenta
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano

Directions
Place dried mushrooms and 2 cups chicken stock in a

small pot over medium-low heat.

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven or high sided skillet over medium
to medium-high heat. Add garlic, crushed pepper, onions, carrots, celery, peppers,
and eggplant to the pot as you chop them. Add the bay leaf, season with salt and
pepper and cover the pot to sweat the vegetables out a little faster. Stir
occasionally for 10 to 12 minutes then uncover and add the balsamic vinegar.

Remove the reconstituted dried mushrooms to the pot with a slotted spoon. Pour in
all but the last few tablespoons of mushroom stock. The last of the stock can hold
a little loose grit from the dried mushrooms. Add tomatoes and break up with a
wooden spoon. Simmer over low heat the last few minutes before serving. Adjust
salt and pepper.

Heat the remaining 2 cups stock with 1 cup milk, golden raisins and rosemary over
medium high heat. Whisk in polenta and stir 3 minutes until thickened. Remove from
heat and stir in honey, butter and cheese.

Pile some polenta in shallow bowls and spoon the stew around the polenta.