Baked Polenta with Zucchini and green harissa

Ottolenghi from Comfort

Ingredients:

1 lb 3 oz/550g zucchini, cut on the diagonal into chunks

3 tbsp olive oil

1 lemon: finely shave the zest to get 8 strips

1¼ cups/450ml chicken stock (or water)

1¼ cups/300ml milk

1 garlic clove, crushed to a paste scant 

1 cup/150g quick-cook polenta

3½ oz/100g parmesan, grated (1 cup)

5 tbsp/75g unsalted butter

4/2 oz/125g Taleggio (or Reblochon), roughly torn

¼ oz/5g chives, cut into 1-inch/ 2.5cm lengths, to serve

Salt and black pepper

Green harissa

2 green bell peppers (9% oz/275g)

3 green onions (1½ oz/40g)

2 small, hot green chiles

3 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole 

¼ oz/20g parsley, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve

¼ oz/20g cilantro, roughly chopped 

1½ tsp cumin seeds, toasted and roughly crushed

1½ tsp coriander seeds, toasted and roughly crushed

1 lemon: finely grate the zest to get 1 tsp, then juice to get 1½ tbsp

1 tsp maple syrup

6 tbsp/90ml olive oil

¼ tsp salt 

This makes the most lovely veggie main, served with a simple leafy salad, and also works as a side to all sorts of things. It's one to earmark if cooking for friends who are gluten-free.

Serves 4

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Start with the harissa. Heat a griddle pan over high heat until very hot. Add the bell peppers and cook for 20 minutes, until they are well charred and wrinkly. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a plate, and set aside to steam. Repeat with the green onions and green chiles (3 minutes for the green onions, 5 for the chiles) and then, finally, the garlic cloves for a minute or two. Once cool enough to handle, but still warm, peel off (and discard) the bell pepper skins and seeds.

Roughly chop the bell pepper and place in the small bowl of a food processor. Roughly chop the green onions and chiles and add them to the food processor, along with the remaining harissa ingredients.

Process until smooth, then transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Meanwhile, put the zucchini into a roasting dish, along with the oil, half the lemon strips, ½ teaspoon of salt, and a few grinds of pepper.

Roast for 25 minutes, stirring a couple of times throughout, until golden and softly cooked through. Remove from the oven.

To make the polenta, put the stock, milk, garlic, and the remaining lemon strips into a medium saucepan and place on high heat. As soon as it starts to simmer, steadily stream in the polenta, whisking at the same time. Decrease the heat to low and cook for about 3 minutes, whisking constantly, until the palenta has thickened but is still soft. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan, butter, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and some pepper. Transfer to a shallow round ovenproof dish, about 9½ inches/24cm wide and spread out evenly.

Dot the Taleggio on top of the polenta and place in the oven for 15 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbling and the polenta has heated through.

Add half the harissa to the zucchini and stir to combine. Spoon the zucchini on top of the polenta and sprinkle with the extra chopped parsley and the chives. Serve, with the remaining harissa alongside.