Veronese horse meat stew with polenta

Ingredients

For 1 serving

• Horse meat150 g
• Onion80 g
• Carrots50 g
• Celery30 g
• Cloves0.2 g
• Nutmeg1 pinch
• Cinnamon1 pinch
• Beef broth300 ml
• Red wine vinegar1 tablespoon
• Polenta (cornmeal)55 g
• Extra virgin olive oil10 g
• Red wine100 ml
• Saltto taste
• Black pepperto taste

Contains: celery, sulphites,

In season: October – March

Method

1. Cut the horse meat into pieces of about 4 cm and pat dry with kitchen paper. Finely chop the onion, carrots and celery and warm the meat stock.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy-based casserole over medium-high heat and brown the meat for 8 minutes, turning, until well browned; add the chopped vegetables and cook for 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Deglaze with the red wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes over high heat, until the smell of alcohol has gone.
4. Add the cloves, a grating of nutmeg, a pinch of cinnamon, the red wine vinegar and the hot stock. Cover and cook over the lowest heat for 2½ hours, stirring now and then and adding a splash of water if it dries out, until the meat falls apart and the sauce is thick and dark.
5. With 40 minutes to go, bring the water for the polenta to the boil with a pinch of salt, pour in the cornmeal in a thin stream while whisking and cook over low heat, stirring often, until it pulls away from the sides.
6. Remove the cloves and serve the pastissada with its sauce over the polenta.