Polenta and The Birds That Got Away - Polenta e Osei Scappati

Polenta e Osei calls for game birds, which vary from place to place and are in any case not so easy to find as they once were. This variation from Lombardia calls for osei scappati, birds that got away, and is thus for days when the hunters come up short. It will serve 6, and should be accompanied by a zesty red wine, for example a Bardolino or a Garda Bresciano Rosso.

Prep Time: 1 hours, 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound (450 g) fairly coarse polenta flour
• 2 ounces cured lard (buy this at a delicatessen; it should be salted and seasoned with herbs, but not smoked)
• 6 links mild Italian sausage, skinned and crumbled
• 3 juniper berries
• 2 leaves sage
• 6 ounces chicken livers, chopped
• Unsalted butter or lard, if necessary
• Salt & freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

Cook the polenta (see link below if need be), and when it's nearly done prepare the sauce: Slice the lard and sauté it in a pot with the juniper berries and the sage. After a few minutes add the sausage and simmer for 20 minutes more, adding a little butter if the mixture begins to dry out. Stir in the chopped chicken livers and cook until they are done too.

Pour the polenta out onto a serving dish, scoop a depression in the center so it looks like a nest, pour the sausage and chicken liver mixture into it, and serve.

As a variation, you can add a minced shallot to the lard when you sauté it, and also stir in a bit of tomato sauce (1/2 cup at the most) to bind the sauce at the end. Also, some cooks prefer rosemary to sage.

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