We at Precedent are excited to introduce our newest columnist: articling student and foodie Sara Chan. Her every-other-Tuesday column, Edible Witness, will be part chronicle, part food blog and part cookbook — featuring quick and delicious recipes, plus tips on food trends, meal planning and new kitchen gadgets, along with occasional restaurant reviews.
David Chang, chef and owner of New York’s Momofuku restaurants, recently estimated that he has cooked perhaps twice in his own kitchen — and if so, it was “drunkenly.” This may well be the little-known common ground between young lawyers and professional chefs: they’re almost never home, they work long hours, and when they do finally get some free time, the last thing they feel like doing is cooking (unless, of course, drunkenly).
This is simply an accepted reality for many young lawyers — and for those who don’t care much for cooking, it matters little. For those who have vague and wistful memories of the joys of preparing a good and nourishing meal for themselves, however, read on.
Though I’m less than a year out of law school, I am already baffled at the sheer amount of free time I had at my disposal back then. I spent a lot of it on the Internet. I spent some of it reading or writing papers or attending classes. There were drinks, at bars, with people. The rest of the time, for me, was about cooking (which, as most know, is one of the best procrastination tools going: the meals always got really good and elaborate around December and April). I learned to see food not only as a distraction, but as a therapy — nothing relaxed me more than coming home and creating something delicious to eat (admittedly, it helps if there is an appreciative roommate or partner who is happy to do the dishes).
Now halfway through my articles, time has become a precious commodity and the home-cooked meals come less easily. After a long two-week stint of nothing but take-out and food court meals, I vowed to revive home-cooked meals in my life — even if it could only happen once or twice a week; even if I had to cut some corners and use store-bought products; even if I should deign to grudgingly consult people like Rachael Ray (not actually Rachael Ray, just people like her). Edible Witness will be part chronicle, part food blog, part cookbook as I attempt to make good on this commitment. The key focus of this column will be to provide recipes that are fast and doable on a busy weeknight. However, it may also foray into recipes for special occasions, food trends and commentary, meal planning and shopping tips, kitchen equipment testing or restaurant reviews — all aimed at putting food (and not the food court) back on your radar.
In the spirit of beginnings, then, the inaugural Edible Witness recipe will showcase a comforting classic: Breakfast for Dinner. This dish dispenses with the traditional trilogy of egg-bacon-toast and uses polenta and tomato sauce instead to give it more of a dinner-y feel. It’s inspired by an amazing brunch dish using grits I once ate at Home restaurant in Greenwich Village, NYC. Though it does tend to use a lot of dishes, the good news is it can be made in under 30 minutes. I use soft boiled eggs, but you could also poach eggs or fry them sunny-side up or over easy; the key is to have a nice, soft, runny yolk (for good tips on the perfect boiled egg, check out the amazing food nerdiness of this dude). You can skip the mulching of the tomatoes if you are short on time or don’t have a blender or food processor. If you have a bit more time (or demand meat with your breakfast), fry up some diced bacon or pancetta and throw it on top before serving for some nice salty/fatty contrast with the polenta and eggs.
Hot tip: This dish would also be suitable for breakfast.
Polenta with Eggs and Tomato Sauce
For the sauce:
2 tbsp good quality olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 796 mL can diced tomatoes, drained and mulched up in a blender/food processor (3-4 pulses)
1/3 cup dry white wine or chicken stock
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil (or 1/2 tsp dried)
For the polenta:
1 cup medium ground cornmeal
4 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp unsalted butter
8 large eggs
Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese
Note: this recipe serves 4. Cut the polenta and eggs down by half if only serving 2 — but make the full portion of sauce and freeze what you don’t use for later. It’s a very serviceable basic tomato sauce.
1. Prepare the sauce first: heat the olive oil in a large skillet or medium saucepan on low-medium heat, then add the garlic and cook gently for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes and wine or stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the basil and allow to reduce, stirring occasionally.
2. While sauce is cooking, soft-boil your eggs. Fill a medium saucepan with enough water to cover the eggs by an inch or so. Bring to a boil, then lower the eggs into the water carefully with a slotted spoon. Once the water boils again, reduce to medium simmer and cook for 4 minutes, removing eggs to a bowl of cool water briefly to ease peeling.
3. Now prepare the polenta: place the water, salt and butter in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium and immediately stream in cornmeal, whisking quickly as you go to prevent lumps. Warning: polenta has a tendency to bubble and spatter, so use a larger pot than you think you need to prevent this and a long wooden spoon to stir after whisking.
3. Stir polenta continuously with a wooden spoon for 4 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.
4. By now your sauce should be reduced — add salt and pepper to taste. To plate the dish, ladle some sauce onto the plate and spread to make a thin circle of sauce. Spoon the polenta on top, then top each mound of polenta with two peeled eggs, garnishing with freshly ground pepper and leftover chopped basil. Shave a few pieces of cheese on top and serve immediately.
Sara Chan is an articling student at a Toronto law firm. Her favourite food group is pork. Sara’s column will appear every other Tuesday here on lawandstyle.ca.