Teff Polenta With Toasted Hazelnut Oil Recipes

One of the things I like most about teff is the texture of the tiny grains. This is particularly nice when you cut up stiff teff polenta into rounds or squares and fry them in oil. The surface browns beautifully and the little round grains on the surface become toasty and crunchy while the centers remain soft. I serve thin slices with salads, or in place of a cracker, topped with something. The thicker cakes can be used the same way you would use the softer teff polenta, drizzled with oil, topped with a sauce or a vegetable dish, or sprinkled with Parmesan, feta or blue cheese. They can serve as a side dish or at the center of the plate or bowl.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Categories     dinner, lunch, snack, appetizer, side dish

Time 15m

Yield Serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 3

• Ingredients

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 288, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 60 grams, Fat 2 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 5 grams, SaturatedFat 0 grams, Sodium 5 milligrams, Sugar 1 gram

Teff is a challenging grain to work with. The flavor is strong, the grains tiny, and the mixture stiffens up very quickly once the grains are cooked. The chef Jason Bond makes a comforting teff polenta at his Bondir restaurants in Cambridge and Concord, Mass. He cooks the teff on top of the stove, in milk, and adds a finely chopped chipotle chile to the mix, which contributes a nice smoky/hot flavor. I liked the idea of teff polenta, and tried a few different methods for it. Teff will cook up in about 20 minutes on top of the stove, but if you use the oven-baked method outlined here, modeled on the method I often use for cornmeal polenta, you will get a creamier result. The oven method takes much longer, but the time is unsupervised - no frequent stirring as you must do on the top of the stove. This method doesn't work so well if you use milk, however, because the milk forms too much skin in the oven, which forms curds when you stir the mixture (though I do like the flavor of the teff cooked in milk a lot). I tested the recipe using both stock and water, and liked both results equally. The chipotle adds a nice smoky/spicy flavor to the teff, but you can leave it out and just focus on the nutty flavor of the teff alone, with the hazelnut oil. I love the toasted hazelnut oil finish; it harmonizes with the nutty/earthy flavor of this grain. Serve the teff as a side dish or top with roasted vegetables or a vegetable or bean stew. You can also allow the teff to stiffen, then cut into squares and fry in the squares oil or grill them. You will get best results if you soak the teff for a few hours or overnight.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Categories     dinner, side dish

Time 1h10m

Yield Serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 5

• Ingredients

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 158, UnsaturatedFat 5 grams, Carbohydrate 24 grams, Fat 5 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 4 grams, SaturatedFat 0 grams, Sodium 398 milligrams, Sugar 1 gram