Honeyed Prawns & Polenta

It seems lately I haven't had much time to cook at home. Work right now offers what seems to be event after event - happy hours mostly (non-profit benefits) and REVERB pre-funks (my music festival in October). These events put me home roughly around eight. At that point it's not so much what I'll be cooking, but more how I'll fit a workout in and still be able to hang out with Chad before having to go to bed. We've been eating a lot of Pasta & Co. or breakfast for dinner. I love that he's always supportive of me working hard or attending those events, but I do miss cooking. It's probably one of the most relaxing things...recreating a recipe I've seen that looks delicious (like this one) while enjoying a glass of wine and either listening to music or catching up on the dvr'd shows I seem to never have enough time to watch. Alas, I'm trying to manage my time better between work and home-life. My first step, trying to post on my blog the few recipes I've been sitting on that I've been able to cook over the past couple months. First up, this amazing Honeyed Prawns & Polenta! Chad got back from New Orleans a while ago and this recipe reminded him of their Creole style cooking. Enjoy!

Honeyed Prawns & Polenta

from Epicurious

For the prawn marinade:

• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Sea salt
• 1 pound large, peeled, and deveined prawns

For the polenta:

• 1 cup polenta
• 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) corn kernels, fresh or frozen
• 1/4 cup currants
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• Sea salt
• Black pepper

For the topping:

• 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers
• Hot sauce (optional)

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• 1. Preheat the oven to 400*. Butter an 8 x 10 inch baking dish.
  
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• 2. To make the marinade: Combine the tomato paste, honey, lemon juice, olive oil, hot sauce, garlic powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Toss the prawns into the marinade. Set the bowl aside, giving it a stir every few minutes.
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• 3. For the polenta: Bring 3 cups of cold water to a boil. Add the polenta. Cook 7 minutes, stirring often. Remove the pot from heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes.
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• 4. In a large bowl, mix the corn (completely thawed if frozen), currants, honey, butter, and thyme. Stir in the polenta, and season with salt and pepper.
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• 5. Add polenta mixture to the buttered baking dish. Spread evening with a spatula, and place in the oven to bake for 35minutes.
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• 6. Spread the prawn mixture evening onto the oiled baking sheet. After the polenta has baked for 25 minutes, add the prawns to the oven, alongside the polenta. Both pans should be on the same rack.
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• 7. Bake the prawns for five minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and flip all of the prawns over. Return the oven and bake an additional five minutes, until the polenta is slightly browned and the prawns are pink and firm.
  
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• 8. Remove the prawns and the polenta from the oven. To serve, scoop individual servings of the polenta onto plates. Lay a few prawns over each serving , then top with crumbled feta, fresh parsley, and capers. Drizzle with a little hot sauce, if desired.