This wasn’t something I saw on TV. This wasn’t a recipe I copied from a fellow blogger. No, Google made me cook this.

I was thumbing through my Webmaster Tools (if you’re a blogger or website owner and you don’t use this you’re mad – it’s so fascinating and can tell you a lot of things about what visitors you get and why) and one of the search terms was “mince patties with polenta”. A lightbulb went off in my head, what a brilliant idea given how in love I am with polenta at the moment.

It turned out jolly nice, especially partnered with a fruity tomato sauce. And best of all can be changed dead easily depending on what’s in the cupboard.

Mince patties with a polenta crust:

For the patties:

300g beef mince

1 tablespoon lemon, olive and herb rub

1 tablespoon basil, finely chopped

1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped

1 egg, beaten

4 tablespoons fine polenta

For the tomato sauce:

1 onion, finely diced

1 clove of garlic, sliced

1 tin tomatoes

200ml vegetable stock

200g broad beans

Few basil leaves, torn up

Combine the mince with the herbs and rub and season well. Form into burger shapes and refrigerate for half an hour (this helps them stay together when cooking).

To make the tomato sauce, fry the onion in garlic gently for 10 minutes in a little oil until softened. Add the tomatoes and stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Five minutes before the end cook the broad beans in water until tender and then add to the sauce, stirring through. Check for seasoning – it may need sugar and vinegar to get the balance right. Add the basil at the last minute.

To finish the patties, spread the polenta out over a plate. Dip the patties in beaten egg and then coat thoroughly in polenta. Fry gently for 5 minutes on each side until browned. Drain on kitchen paper before serving.