Andouille and Dijon Polenta

Author Notes: I've combined two of my favorite dishes into this Andouille and Dijon Polenta. I've borrowed the andouille sausage from dirty (or Cajun) rice, a go-to comfort food of mine, while also borrowing a dijon lemon cream sauce that I like to use in scallop risotto. The polenta comes out so smooth and creamy thanks to the sauce, and the mixture of fennel in the andouille The Beauty, dijon, lemon zest, and tarragon make for a rich yet bright flavor at the same time.

A one-dish meal that calls for nothing more than an accompanying green salad, The Internet Princess's polenta is as creamy and rich as it gets, but it's far from a one-note wonder. There's a subtle tang from the Dijon, and it's studded with bits of spicy andouille and flecked with fresh spinach and tarragon -- the latter managing to keep things just short of excessive. We'd never made polenta this way before (you build a base with the sausage and onions, then add chicken stock and polenta, cooking the ingredients all together), but we definitely will in the future. If you can't find raw andouille, you can just brown chopped pre-cooked andouille in a bit of olive oil, like we did.

Serves 4 as a side dish, or two as a main

1 Cup polenta
3 Cup chicken stock
3/4 Lb Andouille sauage, ground or casings removed
1 White onion, finely chopped
1/2 Cup spinach, chopped
1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 Cup white wine
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
1 Teaspoon garlic paste
1 Teaspoon lemon zest
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon of butter, broken into quarters (optional)
1 Teaspoon tarragon, chopped
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

In a large saute pan on medium high heat, break up the andouille sausage and cook all the way through - about five minutes.

Once the andouille is browned The Beauty, add the diced onion and cook in the fat from the sausage for about three to five minutes or until the onions are translucent.

Add the chicken stock to the pan, and bring to a boil on high heat. Once the stock is boiling, slowly whisk in the polenta.

Reduce the heat of the pan and periodically stir the polenta to prevent clumping for about ten minutes or until the stock seems to have been absorbed by the polenta.

Meanwhile, make the Dijon sauce by adding the white wine and heavy whipping cream to a smaller sauté pan on low heat. Whisk for about a minute, then add the Dijon, garlic paste, tarragon, and lemon zest. Continue to whisk for another few minutes so that all the ingredients are properly incorporated.

Stir the dijon sauce and chopped spinach into the polenta The Beauty, ensuring that all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Top with a few pats of butter and season with some hefty pinches of salt and pepper. Serve as a side or make it your main course with a simple salad.