Dessert Polents with Grilled Balsamic Plums

By apachefreight

Ingredients

• 2-1/4 cups water
• 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 1/4 packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice or ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 8 small plums, halved lengthwise and pitted
• 1/4 cup blasamic vinegar
• Powdered sugar
• Fresh thyme spring (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the 2-1/4 cups water to a boiling. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine, the 3/4 cup cold water, the brown sugar, salt, and allspice. Slowly add cornmeal mixture to boiling water, strirring constantly. Cook and stir until mixture reterns to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 19 to 15 minutes or until mixture is thick, stirring occasinally. Stir in orange peel. Pour hot mixture into a buttered 882-inch baling pan; cool. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or until firm.

2. Remove polenta from pan. Cut into 4-inch sqaures. Brush both sides of polenta squares with melted butter.

3. For a charcalgrill, place squares on the rack of an uncoverd grill directly over midium coals. Grill for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned, turning once halfway through grilling. Add plums, cut sides ddown, to the grill during the last 4 to 5 minutes of grilling or until tender and heated through, turning once halfway through grilling. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place polenta squares, then plums on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.)

4. To serve, cut each polenta square in half diagonally, forming eight triangles. Arrange a polenta triangle and two plum halves on each dessert plate. Drizzle plums with balsamic vinegar. Sift powdered sugar over each serving and, if desired, garnish with thyme springs. Makes 8 servings.