Grape Polenta Cake with a Blue Cheese, Mascarpone
Mousse and Thyme Infused Red Wine and Grape Reduction
Chef Tina Casaceli of The French Culinary Institute – New
York, NY
Adapted by StarChefs
Yield: 10 Servings
Ingredients:
Polenta Cake
- 4 ounces butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup polenta
- ¾ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 bunch red grapes
Mousse
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces bleu cheese
- ½ cup mascarpone
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 Tablespoons ground black pepper
Sauce
- 1 bottle red wine
- 8 ounces sugar
- 8 ounces honey
- 10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bunches red seedless grapes, halved
Garnish
- 4 ounces flour
- 2 ounces cake flour
- 4 ounces sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 ounces walnuts, finely ground
- 5 ounces cold butter, cubed
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 Tablespoon cold water
Method:
For Polenta Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream together butter and sugar until light
and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients except grapes and beat on low speed
until combined. Beat batter on high speed until pale yellow, about 3 minutes.
Pour batter into prepared pans and place grapes on top. Bake about 30
minutes, or until tester comes out with few crumbs adhering.
For Mousse:
Lightly whip heavy cream. Combine blue cheese, mascarpone, honey and pepper
and mix until smooth. Fold whipped cream into cheese mixture and refrigerate
for 1 hour.
For Sauce:
Combine wine, sugar, honey and thyme. Reduce over low heat until syrup
consistency, approximately 30 minutes. When syrup is ready add grapes
and boil a few minutes just to slightly soften grapes. Refrigerate until
service.
For Garnish:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all dry ingredients. Cut in butter
to pea size pieces.
Add yolk and water and mix just to combine. Refrigerate 2 hours. Roll
dough to ¼ - inch thick and cut into 2 – inch circles. Chill
and bake until lightly browned.
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