I’ve started experimenting with polenta. I’ve seen it in grocery stores as thick tubes in the Italian aisle, but I reasoned that it’s made of cornmeal, so it’s not necessary to buy a tube of polenta. I was sure it can be made at home using cornmeal. So, I set about proving it.
I discovered that making polenta is easy. I prefer a creamy texture, which requires 45 min. to 1 hr. on the stove and lots of water. The basics are cornmeal and water, then you can play with ingredients for flavor and color. In this dish, I added parmesan and aged white cheddar for savoriness, and arugula for color and veg.
You can add butter, olive oil and/or milk to enhance the creaminess.
Ingredients:
1 cup cornmeal
4-5 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan to taste
aged white cheddar to taste
5 pats of butter, a drizzle of olive oil and/or a splash of milk/cream
Place the cornmeal and water in a pot and bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for about an hour. Stir occasionally, adding water if needed. About 5 min. before you’re ready to turn off the heat, add the salt and pepper, parmesan, cheddar and butter/olive oil/milk.
Serve alone as a porridge or as a side dish.
ATB 