Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse, a favorite eatery in Kansas City are here to preview a new dish.
Sage Polenta:
Milk - 1 Cup
Water – 2 cups
Cayenne Pepper - ½ teaspoon
Cornmeal- 1 cup
Sage- 1 teaspoon, finely chopped
Mascarpone Cheese- ¼ cup
Salt and Pepper- to taste
In a saucepan combine the milk, water, bay and cayenne. Bring the mixture to a boil over low heat and season generously with salt. Take the seasoning to the edge of too salty. Once the liquid is at a boil and is seasoned appropriately, sprinkle in the polenta whisking constantly. Stir frequently until the polenta has become thick. Taste the polenta to see if it has cooked through. If it still feels mealy and grainy, add some more milk or water and cook it to a thick consistency. Repeat this process, as needed, until the polenta feels smooth on your tongue, about 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the chopped sage and mascarpone. Line a ½ sheet tray with parchment or wax paper. Pour the polenta into the prepared pan. Cover the top with more plastic smoothed onto the surface of the polenta. Chill in the refrigerator until needed.
Chimichurri:
Parsley, finely chopped- ½ cup
Basil, chiffonade- 2 Tablespoons
Capers, chopped- 1 Tablespoon
Anchovy filet, rinsed and chopped- 4 each
Red Onion, finely chopped- 2 tablespoons
Garlic, minced- 1 Tablespoon
Lemon juice- 1 Tablespoon
Red wine vinegar- 1 Tablespoon
Olive oil- 4 oz
Finely chop parsley, basil, capers, anchovies, onion and garlic. Mix in a bowl. Add lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil. Mix, cover and refrigerate. Serve room temperature.
Steak Palermo with Polenta and Chimichurri:
11 oz Ribeye Steak
Cherry tomatoes- 6 halved tomatoes
Fresh Thyme leaves- 1 Tablespoon
Chimichurri- ½ oz
Polenta- 1 cake, cut from the pan
Olive oil- 1/2 oz
Season steak. Cook to desired temperature. Place tomatoes in pan and toss with 1/2 Tbsp olive oil. Blister under broiler for 3-4 minutes or until they plump. Place polenta cake on flat top to crisp on both sides. To plate: Place polenta cake on plate, shingle steak on top, place cherry tomatoes and fresh thyme leaves on top of steak. Drizzle 1/2 oz of the chimichurri over steak and plate.
