Polenta-Crusted Shrimp

This recipe is a nice change from the usual shrimp stirfries and cocktails. The shrimp was dusted in seasoned flour, then egg, and then dredged in polenta and baked. The final product was crunchy and juicy, and the mustard-tarragon dipping sauce worked particularly well. This is also one of the few times that I'd leave shrimp tails on--usually they just get in the way, but they made a good handle in this case.

Soft Polenta with Chanterelles

This is grown up comfort food: creamy polenta topped with chanterelle mushrooms. Somehow we happened to have chanterelles left over from Thanksgiving, so I sauteed them in a little olive oil, butter and thyme. I cooked the polenta in a mixture of chicken broth and milk, added a little chopped up ham and grated parmesan, and spooned the mushrooms over the top.