Polenta with Serrano ham, mozzarella and sage
This was an interesting starter eaten at a local Italian restaurant which was good, but with a little thought could have been improved.
It was made up of a slice of polenta as the base, with rolled Serrano ham and mozzarella cheese over it, a couple of grilled sage leaves and a griddled wedge of bread on the side.
Polenta is inherently a bit bland and I think usually needs something with distinct flavour to lift it. The Serrano ham went well with it but the mozzarella did nothing for it being similarly mild in taste.
I would have served this with capers or a drizzle of intensely flavoured olive or garlic oil to give it a bit of a lift. Or even some sunblush tomatoes,
But hey, I’m not a chef, or Italian, so what do I know. All I know is that it looked great but didn’t quite deliver…
Bit of fish perhaps