Crab & Polenta Bruschetta

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup polenta cornmeal
• 1/8 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce, divided (or any other hot sauce you choose)
• extra virgin olive oil
• extra-virgin olive oil flavored cooking spray
• 1/2 cup seeded and finely diced roma tomato
• 1/8-1/4 cup sliced scallion (we used green onions, they were nicer)
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (not the bottled kind, please!)
• 7 ounces lump crabmeat (can use canned, we used from the deli)

Recipe

• 1 coat a 9-inch square baking pan with non-stick spray; set aside.
• 2 make the polenta:.
• 3 combine water and salt in a saucepan over high heat.
• 4 slowly whisk in cornmeal, reduce heat to low, and simmer whisking constantly, until polenta is thick and smooth, 10 minutes.(my grandmother taught me to do it with a wooden spoon!).
• 5 remove polenta from heat; add parmesan, cream, butter, and 1/2 tsp (or more) tabasco, whisking until butter melts. (toppings stay on the polenta better if it's smoothed a bit before chilling - use an offset spatula or a spoon.).
• 6 spread polenta in the prepared pan, cover with plastic wrap and chill 2 hours or overnight.
• 7 preheat a grill pan over high heat or preheat broiler to low.
• 8 turn chilled polenta out of pan; cut into 16 squares and brush with olive oil.
• 9 place polenta squares in grill pan and grill for 8-10 minutes or place polenta squares on broiler pan and broil until lightly browned.(when char marks are visible on the polenta edges, use a sturdy spatual to release it from the grill pan.).
• 10 cut squares into triangles.
• 11 make the crab salad:.
• 12 combine tomatoes, scallions, maynnaise, sour cream, lime juice and the remaining tabasco for the salad in a bowl until blended.
• 13 gently stir in crabmeat with a fork to coat with dressing.
• 14 to serve, top each polenta triangle with 1 teaspoon crab salad.