A Taste of Buenos Aires... with Baduzzi's Juan Balsani

Balsani marvels at the way corn has been adapted by cultures all around the world. Photo / Getty Images

After many years of travelling to different continents and experiencing their cultures, among other things I enjoy is discovering how there are different products and ingredients specific to a place or a culture and how they have been adapted all around the world.

Take corn for example. From "cheesy grits" for breakfast in New Orleans; the hanging of corn husks on the house entrances in Bhaktapur, Nepal; the use of deep fried "corn hairs" as a garnish in a 3-Michelin star restaurant in Barcelona; to discovering a corn fungus called cuitlacoche in a market near Oaxaca, Mexico.

Baduzzi's head chef, Juan Balsani. Photo / Supplied

Other discoveries have included a sweet drink made from purple corn called chicha in the streets of Bolivia; a cornflake snack called chaat on my many train trips around India; and a simple boiled corn in a rural area near Kandy, Sri Lanka that was an absolute delight. Corn has been present on all my trips and has always surprised me.

But my first memory with the humble corn cob was as a kid going to the markets with my grandmother Chona in Buenos Aires. She used to take me there to buy freshly ground cornmeal to make polenta. In my opinion, this was perhaps the greatest hit in her culinary repertoire.

Buenos Aires is where Balsani first encountered the versatility of the humble corn cob. Photo / Getty Images

I cooked dinner for my friends a few years ago at home and the first idea I had was making polenta, like my grandma used to. It was a great success and it is still one of my favourite dishes to make. I hope you enjoy making and eating it as much as I do.

- Juan is the head chef at Baduzzi in Auckland's Wynyard Quarter.

Polenta and marinara sauce

Polenta

300g cornmeal/polenta (you can choose the grade in most supermarkets, I prefer medium grade)
800g water (some of the water can be replaced for milk, up to 50 per cent)
Salt and nutmeg to taste
A generous knob of butter

Method

Bring water (and milk if preferred), butter and salt to a boil in a large saucepan; pour polenta slowly into boiling water, whisking constantly until all polenta is stirred in and there are no lumps.

Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking often, until polenta starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Polenta mixture should still be slightly loose. When polenta is too thick to whisk, stir with a wooden spoon. Polenta is done when texture is creamy and the individual grains are tender.

I prefer a creamy texture on the polenta, so don't hesitate to add some more water or milk during or after cooking

Chona's Marinara sauce

2kg fresh tomato
2 capsicum
4 onions
6 garlic cloves
1 carrot
3 bay leaves
4 fresh oregano sticks
1/2 fresh rosemary stick
20 basil leaves
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Slice onions and capsicum into strips, garlic into thin slices and grate the carrot.

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and capsicum and cook until slightly coloured: not stirring will help with the colouring. Add garlic and bay leaves and mix in diced tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until most of the water of the tomatoes has evaporated, stirring frequently is key.

Finish the sauce with some fresh olive oil and herbs.

For the plating, in a hot bowl place the creamy polenta and make some room in the middle with the help of a ladle, add a generous amount of tomato sauce (I like 60 per cent polenta 40 per cent sauce ratio). Drizzle with fresh olive oil, grate some parmesan on top and some last minute cracked pepper is never a bad idea. Enjoy!