Recipes

Polenta

About this recipe

Polenta is cornmeal. Before it became trendy, people used to eat it because it was cheap. Now we never have it. Try it out; it’s good (and cheap).

Instructions

Bring to a boil:

  • 8 cups water,
  • 2 tsp. salt.

Turn burner to lowest setting and whisk in:

  • 1 lb. (2 cups) cornmeal (one handful at a time).

Leave on burner for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally with a big honking wooden spoon to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom. Then shut off burner and let set for 10 minutes.

Spread onto dinner plates, about ½ inch thick. Top with Ragù Sauce made with mushrooms and Parmesan cheese, or sausages fried in olive oil.

Notes

  • If you’re short on cornmeal, mix in a little semolina.
  • The thicker version served with fish sauce on Christmas Eve is called polentone.
  • If making polentone to eat with fish sauce, let cool longer (outside if it’s winter) so it hardens.
  •  
    You can also fry polenta. In this case, let it harden before putting into pan. Frying makes it even harder, kind of like a corn biscuit. Then top with some form of sauce.

Share This