Meat and polenta skewer with pumpkin

FOR THE POLENTA

Components

• 250 g of Japanese pumpkin, peeled and chopped into medium-sized cubes (approximately 1 1/2 cups).
• 1 cup (tea) of quick-cooking polenta
• One garlic clove
• 3 1/2 cups of hot water
• One teaspoon of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1/3 cup of finely shredded Parmesan cheese
• sodium chloride

Watch the video tutorial.

Setup phase

1. In a regular pan, add the olive oil and crush the garlic clove — placing it in a cold pan prevents the garlic from burning. Heat over medium flame and sauté for one minute to release the aroma.

1. Incorporate the pumpkin, season with a pinch of salt, and stir thoroughly. Pour in 1/2 cup of water. Once it reaches a boil, cover the pan and reduce the heat. Allow it to cook for approximately 15 minutes, or until the pumpkin becomes tender. Meanwhile, start making the ragu.
2. If the pumpkin finishes cooking before the ragu is done, switch off the heat and cover the pan—then, once the ragu is ready, simply complete the polenta.
3. Using a vegetable masher, thoroughly mash the pumpkin directly in the same pan. Pour in the remaining water, season with 1½ teaspoons of salt, and place it back on the heat.
4. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat and gradually add the polenta, stirring thoroughly with a whisk to prevent lumps. Continue stirring for an additional three minutes until the polenta becomes creamy. Then, turn off the heat and stir in the butter and grated cheese.
5. In a spacious 20 cm by 30 cm baking dish (approximately 4 liters), layer the ragu evenly across the bottom. Using a large spoon, add dollops of polenta on top of the ragu—this helps to spread it more easily without blending into the filling. Smooth the polenta with the back of the spoon to create an even surface before serving.

Please provide the text you would like me to paraphrase.

Components

• 500 grams of minced duck meat
• Half an onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• one carrot
• 1 can of diced tomatoes with juice included
• 1 tablespoon of wheat flour
• 1/2 cup of tea water
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Half a teaspoon of dried calabresa pepper
• sodium chloride
• 2 sprigs of basil
• Six pitted black olives

Mode of preparation

1. Take the ground meat out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature while you prepare the other ingredients—if it’s frozen when you start cooking, the meat will steam instead of browning.

1. Remove the skin and dice the onion. Clean, peel, and grate the carrot using the coarse side of the grater. Crush the garlic cloves. Slice the olives into rounds. Rinse and pat dry the basil leaves.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a spoonful of olive oil and place half of the ground meat in small mounds, spreading them evenly across the pan’s bottom to brown better without releasing water. Cook without stirring for 1 minute, then use tongs to flip the pieces to brown the other side. Transfer the browned meat to a bowl and repeat the process with the remaining meat, adding more olive oil to the skillet as needed.
3. Place the initially browned meat back into the skillet, season with salt, and sprinkle with wheat flour. Stir with a spatula for approximately 5 minutes to fully break down the pieces and allow the meat to finish cooking.
4. Return the loose ground meat to the bowl and maintain the skillet on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then include the onion and carrot, seasoning with a pinch of salt. Sauté for approximately 2 minutes until they soften. Add the garlic and chilled pepper, stirring for 1 minute to release their aroma.
5. Pour water back into the frying pan and stir thoroughly with the spatula to dissolve the flakes stuck to the bottom, as they enhance the flavor of the dish. Add the peeled tomatoes and olives, season with half a teaspoon of salt, and cook until it reaches a boil.
6. Reduce the heat, place the meat back in the skillet, and cook for an additional 2 minutes to lightly thicken the rich sauce. Turn off the heat, stir in the basil leaves, cover, and let it rest.

Please provide the text you would like me to paraphrase.

Heat the oven to 250 °C (high setting), spread 1/2 cup (tea) of coarsely grated cheese over the polenta, and place it in the oven to gratinate for 10 minutes. If your oven has a grill function, feel free to use it, but watch closely as the polenta may burn more quickly.

Please provide the text you would like me to paraphrase.

You can prepare the hide the day before and simply heat it up when ready to serve. Take it out of the refrigerator as the oven preheats to 180 °C (moderate temperature). If desired, add grated cheese and bake for approximately 30 minutes to warm through.

PUNTO DE CONGELACIÓN

Have you been storing it? Divide and freeze. When ready to use, place in the fridge the night before or defrost in the microwave.