How can something this lovely and delicious come from something so simple? When done right, polenta takes cornmeal, which is in itself pretty unexciting, and transforms it into the stuff of dreams. It becomes this light, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth dish that I want to eat by the bowlful!
For perfect polenta, you have to cook it for quite a long time, stirring regularly, in order to give the grains time to open up. It takes some patience, but it’s well worth it! The finished product should have a soft, creamy texture. It can be flavored simply with butter and parmesan (my favorite,) or decked out with all sorts of herbs or cheeses or vegetables.
Here’s what you need:
The water to cornmeal ratio is 4:1. Start by heating water on the stove in a medium saucepan to just boiling. Add a good pinch of salt, then slowly pour the cornmeal into the water while whisking continuously to prevent lumps from forming. Continue to whisk for a minute or so as the polenta begins to thicken up, then turn the heat to low and trade the whisk for a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
Continue to cook the polenta for 45 minutes.
You don’t necessarily have to stand at the stove stirring the entire time, but it does need to be stirred every couple minutes or so to keep it from sticking to the pan.
I know 45 minutes seems like such a long time to have to tend to something, but it’s really not as daunting as it sounds, if you time it out right. If we’re having polenta as a side for dinner, I start on it first. I whisk it into the water then once it thickens and gets to the point of just needing to be stirred once in a while, I start prepping and cooking whatever we’re having. Every few minutes, I stir the polenta. It all comes out at just the right time.
Once the polenta is ready, stir in a bit of butter and the parmesan cheese, or anything else you would like to add.
Polenta makes a perfect side to literally anything! It can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner! I make it to go along with my Fennel and Sausage Braised Chicken Thighs, or Mushroom and Bacon Braised Chicken or Seared Mahi Mahi with Tomato Caper Sauce!
Other recipes to try:
Perfect Creamy Parmesan Polenta
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 cup parmesan shredded
- 2-3 tbsp butter
- salt
Instructions
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add a good pinch of salt. Slowly, while whisking, pour in the cornmeal. Continue to whisk once all the cornmeal is in for about a minute as it begins to thicken up, to prevent any lumps from forming. Replace the whisk with a wooden spoon. Turn the heat to low. Cook the polenta for 45 minutes, stirring every few minutes with the wooden spoon. Stir in the butter and the Parmesan before serving.
I have never even considered making this myself— I always bought the little pre-cooked roll thing at the store! I didn’t realize it was so easy to make!
Sounds tasty.