- 2 lb Chinese broccoli, thick ends trimmed
- 6 cups water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 cups polenta (not instant) or yellow cornmeal
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 lb hot Italian sausage, casings removed
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Cut broccoli stems diagonally into 1-inch pieces and coarsely chop leaves. Cook stems in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about4 minutes. Stir in leaves and cook 1 minute. Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Do not squeeze out excess water.
- Bring water with salt to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan, then add polenta in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Cook over moderate heat, whisking, 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer polenta, covered, stirring for 1 minute after every 10 minutes of cooking, 45 minutes total. Stir in butter, cream, and cheese and remove from heat.
- Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté sausage, stirring and breaking up meat into large pieces with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate. Reduce heat to moderate, then cook garlic in skillet, stirring, until golden, about 2 minutes.
- Add broccoli and cook, stirring and scraping up brown bits from bottom of skillet, 2 minutes. Return sausage to skillet and toss with greens, salt, and pepper. Serve over polenta.