ElsieD

I fried some of the polenta "fingers" today and am very happy with the results. I made them as per the recipe Jaymes posted, and after cooking put them in a loaf pan and cooled them overnight in the fridge. I cut four fingers and dusted two of them with flour. I then fried them in peanut oil in a hot cast iron pan and left them undisturbed until the bottoms were nice and brown and crisp before frying the other side. The two of us had one each of plain and flour dipped and we could not detect any difference. Will try again using rice flour just to see what that is like. We ate them with a bit of maple syrup on the side for dipping. Yummy. I will serve the next ones up with some marinara sauce. In future, if I want polenta for dinner as a side dish I will use the recipe provided by Kerry Beal and cook it in the Thermomix. If I want to fry it, I will make the recipe linked by Jaymes and not cook it in the Thermomix (too thick) but in a pan so I can get it into a loaf pan quicker before it starts to set up. Thank you all for taking the time to respond. You have been very helpful.

Thanks for your responses. Today I took the plunge and purchased one. I don't get it until August as the store I bought it from had them on sale and I was told they sold like hotcakes and all they had left was the floor model. I did not want the floor model so they were kind enough to order a new one for me at the sale price. Something to look forward it. I also bought the pizza stone and the cutting board and have ordered the 121/2" Big Daddios pizza peel. So should be all set to cook when it arrives. They were nice enough to discount the stone and cutting board as well so it has been my lucky day.

I put the cooked polenta into a pan to cool and refrigerated it overnight. I then preheated a non-stick pan and tried to fry it. My polenta was firm but perhaps could be firmer. So, I am going to try another batch. I will follow the recipe Jaymes posted, and after it has cooled, cut them into fingers. As per Andie, I will dust them with some rice flour and use a combination of oil and butter to fry them in. I will forget about the non stick pan and use my cast iron pan and will also try my stainless steel. Both will be preheated to hot before I start to cook them. I will also leave them alone before I try moving them. I can see that I made a few mistakes so following your suggestions should go a long way to correcting my mistakes. Thank you all for your suggestions. As you can see, I am taking them to heart. I will post the results.

Alex, thank you for responding. How does well does this oven broil? The Krups, when set on broil, cycles on and off. Does the Breville do the same thing or does the broil element stay on until you turn it off?

I am new to the world of polenta in general and fried polenta in particular. The first time I fried them I cooked them in a non-stick skillet in a bit of oil. That was not a success as they stuck mightily to the pan. This morning I tried again, using a different non-stick pan and using a bit more oil, perhaps 3 tablespoons or so. They stuck also. I would really like to get this right as I have found out that I love the stuff. What am I doing wrong? Does my polenta need to be firmer? Is my oil not hot enough? Do I need to use a lot of oil? Is it like searing meat in that you don't touch it until it has seared in the pan for a while? Should I be coating the pieces in cornmeal or flour before frying? Any suggestions appreciated.

I just re-read this thread. I have a Krups that while adequate, I am not entirely happy with. Can you tell me in what ways the Breville beats out the Krups? I am already sold on the idea that a quarter sheet pan will fit into it as I use those a lot, and also that it will fit a pizza. My problem is the Krups is not all that old so I am having trouble justifying the purchase of a Breville.

Yes, had I read the instructions more carefully, I would have read that. I made a batch last night guessing at what to do. Came out very loose. Made another batch this morning following your instructions and it is perfect. I scooped half cup portions into my USA hamburger pans and have nice little round discs. I have to say I wish more of the Thermomix cookbooks were available to Canadians. I have only two, one called My Way of Cooking and Full Steam Ahead. I don't much care for either of them. If you have any ideas on how I can get more, I'm all ears! Thanks again. Elsie

Thanks, Kerry. I will try this. Do you use the butterfly? Elsie

Can anyone give me instructions on how to cook polenta in a Thermomix? My internet sleuthing hasn't turned up much of anything. Thanks in advance.

Can you explain why you are using what appears to be an empty coffee can with a lid on it rather than the TMX steamer basket? and what is the bread basket for?

Looking forward to your posts!

*bows his head in shame*I know ... Hmm. The MCAH formula applies to a French-style vinaigrette, where the ratio of oil to everything else is roughly 2:1. What you're describing is more of an Asian-style dressing, with a ratio of 3:14, way over on the other side of the balance. Another MCAH recipe might be more helpful: a sauce that combines chicken fat and jus, using liquid soy lecithin to form an emulsion and xanthan gum to stabilize it. That ratio is 2 (fat):5 (everything else) -- much closer to what you're proposing. In that case, the additives are scaled according to the "everything else": 0.8% for the lecithin, and 0.4% for the xanthan.On the other hand . . . the MCAH "Ultrastable Butter Sauce" calls for 100g everything else (+ 0.4g xanthan), with 120g melted butter (+ 2.4g liquid soy lecithin). What all this tells me (though I'm very willing to be corrected) is that 1) liquid soy lecithin provides a lot of leeway; 2) xanthan gum does not (in fact, I know from experimenting with it that this is quite true; it's a very powerful thickener). So, were I you, I'd start at 0.5% of lecithin, scaled according to your "everything else," and work my way up as needed. And I wouldn't be surprised if it took as much as 2 - 2.5%. Liquid soy lecithin is tasteless, so you don't have to worry about affecting flavor. It should be pointed out for the benefit of everyone considering using lecithin to emulsify dressings that the lecithin needs to be blended with the fat component before adding the fat to the "everything else." Wow, thanks for the information. I will try it out and post the results in case others are interested. I had shoulder surgery this morning and my arm is in a very restrictive sling right now and will be for a month but I may ask by husband to make it. Anyway, that is just to say it may be a little while before I post. I really, really appreciate your help. Elsie

In sour cream for me. That would be my second choice if the first is not available.

Dave the Cook, thanks for responding. So I have a dressing recipe I want to emulsify that has 14 tablespoons of non-oil liquid (rice vinegar, maple syrup and soy sauce) and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. So, whatever that sesame oil weighs, I use 1 to 2% soy lecithin of that weight? If that oil weighs 20 grams, I use 2 to 4 grams of lecithin? I guess I would start with 1% and increase it to 2% by increments if necessary? Thank you. Elsie

How much liquid lecithin does one use?

Pickled herring filets in wine marinade. Exactly 5 pieces at a time.

If I understand you correctly, while the ice cream is churning I should periodically take the temperature and when it is -5C, transfer it to a freezer container and put it in the freezer? I have a Thermopen so I can get quick readings. Would this hold true for sherbets and frozen yogurt too?

I second that request.

I recently made some frozen raspberry yogurt. This was the first time I had made it and it, too, is as hard as a rock. Maybe this should be a separate thread?

I do mine sous vide at 133F for an hour.

I have something similar to that called Original Speculoos made by Lotus which I buy at a Dutch grocery store. Denninger's probably carries it as well. It takes great control to not open the jar and eat great gobs of the stuff. It is speculoos cookie on a spoon.

I have the WMF pressure cooker which I bought on Amazon. It is a set, one is 81/2 quarts, the other is 41/2 quarts with an interchangeable lid. I haven't used it a while lot yet, as I am quite new to PC, but I really like them. I use both sizes.

I bought some veal cheeks today and would like to cook them sous vide. The last postings I could find on eGullet concerning this was in 2010 and I am hoping to get some updated information. I would like to know at what temperature and for how long these should be cooked. I have never cooked these before by any method and so I have no idea what they are like, but given the price, I hope they are good. Also, what kind of a sauce would be good with them? I'm sort of thinking maybe a marsala/dijon/mustard sauce might be good. Any comments on that? Thanks in advance.

I'm ready also but my world is against me too. 15cm of freezing rain, ice pellets, snow called for tomorrow.

Thanks Simon. Now all I have to do is find some beef cheeks. I am hoping my butcher can get them for me. If I can get them, I will post how they turned out.