I’m sure most Taupo kitchens are well-stocked with eggs at the moment – with every supermarket trip I’m tempted to buy just one more carton of on-special eggs. As a result, we’ve been finding ways of using eggs in every meal (we haven’t resorted to scrambled egg omelettes just yet).
Warm and creamy polenta pairs so well with the richness of a perfectly poached egg, and is especially delicious cooked with garlic and parmesan. If you’ve never used polenta, look in the pasta aisle (or in the back of your pantry) – it’s about the same price as pasta. Polenta is a meal of ground corn, and thickens when cooked – similar to mashed potato.
However, the hero here has to be the spicy salami butter; so simple yet incredibly punchy. Crispy morsels of fried salami in a chilli and smoked paprika infused melted butter – seriously delicious, and your kitchen will smell amazing.
Serve this winter warmer for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
This recipe was first published in the Taupo Herald 11/08/2022. I contribute recipes on a weekly basis to this local publication, which will also be shared here on my website. You can read the Taupo Herald online here - keep an eye out on each week's publication for my newest recipes.
Soft Polenta with Eggs and Spicy Salami Butter
Course: Breakfast, Mains4
servings25
minutesA deliciously cosy dish of eggs on soft, cheesy polenta. The spicy salami butter is the hero here – serve this for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
4 eggs (1 per person – use 8 eggs for 2 per person)
- Creamy Polenta
25g butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1 litre boiling water
1 cup coarse polenta/cornmeal
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup grated parmesan (plus extra, to serve)
- Spicy Salami Butter
75g Dutch salami, very finely diced
50g butter
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
Directions
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes until the garlic begins to brown. Add water and salt, and bring to a boil.
- Slowly whisk in the polenta, ensuring no lumps form. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, until thick and almost glutinous. When thickened, whisk in milk and parmesan to combine. Season with pepper, cover with a lid and keep warm.
- Meanwhile, make the Spicy Salami Butter. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add salami and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until crispy and just beginning to brown. Add butter. When melted, stir in smoked paprika and chilli. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
- To poach the eggs, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. When boiling, reduce heat to low and carefully add eggs. Cook for 3-5 minutes, depending on your desired yolk consistency. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
- To assemble, divide polenta among 4 serving bowls. Top each with an egg, and generously spoon over the spicy salami butter. Sprinkle with grated parmesan and serve immediately.