Polenta Pie

== Description ==
Polenta is an Italian term for a type of corn meal used in northern Italy, and pizza base was originally made with iit. The maize / corn flour was cooked into a thick porridge and then poured onto a wooden slab and topped with tomato sauce to become a bulwark for hungry peasants. Varieties of polenta pie are found in several countries. It is a good way to use up cooked meat, but you can also make it with cooked red lentils. Serves 4.
== Ingredients ==
* 1 cup / 150 g cornmeal / polenta
* 1½ cups / 350 ml stock
* 2 tablespoons / 50 g margarine
* 1 small onion, sliced
* 1 clove garlic, crushed
* ½ pound / 225 g cooked chicken, cut in small pieces, ground / minced beef or cooked lentils, or a mixture of meat and vegetables
* 1 tablespoon flour
* handful fresh cilantro / coriander leaves, chopped
* ½ teaspoon basil
* ½ - 1 teaspoon lemon juice
* salt
* pepper
== Directions ==
# Heat oven to 400 °F / 200 °C / Gas 6.
# Bring 1 cup / 240 ml of the stock to the boil in a heavy pan. Mix a little of the remainder (keeping some to make a gravy below) in a bowl with the cornmeal / polenta.
# When the stock has boiled, pour it slowly into the polenta, stirring all the time to prevent lumps.
# Return the mixture to the pan and cook it slowly, stirring constantly until it becomes smooth and thick like a porridge.
# Add half the margarine and stir it in.
# In another pan, heat up the remaining margarine and cook the onion and garlic until they soften. Put in the cooked filling, sprinkle on the flour and cook for 1 minute. Then add enough stock to make a little gravy.
# Now take two-thirds of the polenta mixture and spoon it into a greased 7 inch / 17.5 cm pie dish, pressing it into place with the back of a metal spoon. Bake this case for 10 minutes. Then remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 350 °F / 180 °C / Gas 4.
# Put the cooked meat or lentil mixture into the pie dish and spread the rest of the dough over the top, distributing it with a spoon and smoothing with a fork.
# Put the pie in the oven and cook for 20 – 30 minutes.
Category:Chicken Recipes
Category:Cornmeal Recipes
Category:Ground beef Recipes
Category:Recipes that need photos
Category:Red lentil Recipes
Category:Zambian Meat Dishes