shrimp “puttanesca” w/ creamy polenta

Polenta makes a great side dish for just about everything: fish, steak, chicken, pork, shellfish, and it’s definitely my go-to comfort food when I’m in a hurry. Here I serve the polenta with a saucy, brothy take on a shrimp “puttanesca”

Shrimp “Puttanesca” w/ Creamy Polenta

2 cups polenta
~5 cup chicken or vegetable broth
~1 cup half and half or heavy cream

• Rather than adding butter or cheese to my polenta, I like adding cream or half n’ half, which adds a great richness

shrimp

• I normally always have frozen shrimp in my freezer, and I just thaw what I think I’ll need. Also, because the shrimp are part of the sauce and not the star, feel free to use small shrimp

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp capers
1/2 cup Castelvetrano olives, roughly chopped (or other pitted olives)
1 cup artichoke hearts

• they normally come halved or quartered, you just want their size to kind of match the size of the other ingredients in the sauce

1 can sardines, rough chopped

• Rather than the traditional anchovies normally in puttanesca, I used sardines, which still add a slight “fishyness” but are a little subtler and not as salty. I used sardines I bought at an Asian store so they had a little soy sauce mixed in, too, but regular canned sardines work fine

1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth

– Bring stock and cream to a boil. Add polenta and bring back to a boil while whisking
– Once polenta comes to a boil, turn heat down to medium-low, season with salt and pepper, and continue to stir regularly so it doesn’t burn on the bottom.

– Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and once the oil starts to smoke add the shrimp
– Cook shrimp till begins to turn pink and then add the garlic. Cook shrimp a little under and remove from the pan and set aside; try to keep the garlic in the pan
– Deglaze pan with white wine, and add remaining ingredients-diced tomatoes with juice, broth, olives, capers, artichoke hearts, and sardines
– Heat ingredients through and adjust seasonings. Allow sauce to simmer for 10 minutes so flavors can meld. Return shrimp and any juice back to the pan just before serving