Creamy polenta with poached eggs and sage

This is comfort food at its creamiest, with the frizzled sage leaves giving everything a crispy, savoury lift. Just be sure the eggs are very fresh and that the yolks are intact when they go in to poach!

From the garden: eggs, sage, bay

Recipe source: Melissa

Serves: 4 or 24 tastes

What to do:

1. Measure the milk and water into the larger saucepan and pop in the bay leaf. Heat until almost boiling and then turn off and allow to infuse for 10 or 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile grate the parmesan, measure out the mascarpone and get the eggs ready by carefully and gently cracking each egg into its own separate small bowl – without breaking them!
3. You can also wash and spin the sage leaves dry, separating if needed, and place them in the smaller saucepan. Weigh out the butter and place with the sage leaves.
4. Removing the bay leaf from the milk mixture, heat the saucepan again and then sprinkle in the polenta and a teaspoon of cooking salt. Using the flat-ended wooden spoon stir continuously until it thickens and is not too grainy, about 10-20 minutes, depending on the variety of polenta.
5. When the polenta is cooked, add the mascarpone and grated parmesan and mix until well combined. Taste for seasoning and add a little more salt if necessary. The polenta should be soft and creamy and only just hold its shape – you want a sloppy, porridge type consistency.
6. About 5 mins before the polenta is ready, poach the eggs. Fill the deep-sided frying pan almost to the top with water and bring to a simmer. and then carefully slide into the water until they’re all in. Let the pan sit on a simmer for 4 minutes.
7. When the eggs are almost ready, heat the butter and sage over medium heat until the butter is bubbling up and starting to turn brown and the leaves are crispy.
8. To serve, pour out the polenta into serving bowls. Lift the eggs out of the water, drain, and then place one on top of each bowl. Season generously and scatter with the frizzled sage leaves & browned butter.

Notes: What is polenta? What is cooking by ‘absorption’ method? Why should we not break the egg yolks when poaching them? What is to simmer?