Cooking with Wine

Slice the polenta roll into 12 pieces and place on a plate. We do not use the ends as they are rounded, so you can slice them off. Each piece will be just under ½”. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the polenta rounds when the oil is hot - we do ours in 2-3 batches as they are easier to manage. They will cook for 3-5 minutes per side - until golden brown. Once complete, set aside.

In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and start whisking in the butter. If the sauce gets too cool, put it back on low heat, but you don’t want to get the poaching liquid too hot. Get the poaching liquid to 175° and then add the shrimp. Try to keep the poaching liquid as close to 170-175° as you can as you cook them. Poach the shrimp gently until they read 145° internal temperature. If using medium shrimp this will only take a few minutes. Jumbo shrimp may take 5-6 minutes. You will see the shrimp turn opaque and a whitish/pink color and start to firm up. You can always make a few extra shrimp and pull one out to cut in half as a tester if you don’t have a thermometer. Remove the shrimp once they are done and start assembling your appetizers.

Put a tablespoon of pesto on each polenta round, add the shrimp on top of that and garnish with a tiny drizzle of chile oil and a small basil leaf on top. Enjoy!