Quite why polenta should be more summery than mashed potato I’m not sure, but laced with spinach and parmesan it works deliciously here as a base for lamb chump chops and roast tomatoes.
Serves 6
Prep 20 min
Cook 25 min
Ingredients
Method
Heat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Halve the tomatoes lengthways and arrange cut-side up on the foil. Drizzle with olive oil. Pour boiling water into a large pan, return to the boil and add 1 teaspoon of salt and the spinach. Boil for 1 min. Drain and leave to cool. Trim excess fat from the chops. Smear both sides lavishly with olive oil and set aside. Have ready the grated parmesan and butter. Check the tomatoes: when soft and weeping but holding their shape, remove from the oven and leave to cool. Squeeze the spinach to remove excess water.
Heat the griddle and, when very hot, cook 2 chops at a time for 2 min a side. Transfer to a warmed plate, season with salt and pepper and cover with clingfilm. When you are ready to serve, pour 1.2 litres boiling water into a spacious pan. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and return to the boil. Add the polenta in a steady stream, reduce the heat immediately and stir for 1 min as it instantly thickens. Stir in the butter, 100g parmesan and then the spinach. Divide between 6 warmed dinner plates, dust with extra grated parmesan before adding a chop and 2 tomato halves.