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

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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.