- 1 pound or slightly more of coarsely ground corn meal (you want corn meal the consistency of fine to medium-grained sand, not flour, and if possible stone-ground)
- 2 quarts boiling water (have more handy)
- A heaping teaspoon of salt
"My old grandmother (born in Italy) taught me years ago how to avoid the drudgery of having to stir and stir and stir polenta. Put the basic recipie in a slow cooker. Cook on low over night (at least about 6 hours). In the morning you will have the smoothest, creamiest polenta you only dreamed about. A single portion can be made in a bowl set in water as in a double-boiler arrangement (level to match bowl contents) -- saves having to clean the cooker pot."
Gian John Banchero instead uses the Pressure Cooker:
I'm the product of a Piemontese father and a Sicilian mother. Mom had no particular connection with polenta so over the years she made it in a pressure cooker, sometimes to the chagrin of my northern relatives who still use a copper paiolo, taking pride in their famed elbow grease. I make polenta in the pressure cooker 99% of the time, if not I don't think I'd make it often.
During my last visit to Piemonte and Milano I was surprised to find out that many relatives use the pressure cooker method.
This is my (and Mom's) method for pressure cooker polenta:
- Amounts of polenta meal and water needed
- Lump of butter
- Salt
Polenta with Canned Tuna Recipe - Polenta col Tonno Sott'Olio
http://italianfood.about.com/od/polentarecipes/r/blr1232.htm
Chickpea polenta: http://italianfood.about.com/od/primivari/r/blr0687.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polenta
Polenta takes a long time to cook, typically simmering in four to five times its volume of watery liquid for about 45 minutes with almost constant stirring, necessary for even gelatinization of the starch. Some alternative cooking techniques are meant to speed up the process, or not to require supervision. Quick-cooking (cooked, instant) polenta is widely used and can be prepared in a few minutes; it is considered inferior to cooking polenta from unprocessed cornmeal and not ideal for eating unless baked or fried after simmering.[4]
In his book Heat, Bill Buford talks about his experiences as a line cook in Mario Batali's Italian restaurant Babbo. Buford details the differences in taste between instant polenta and slow-cooked polenta, and describes a method of preparation that takes up to three hours, but does not require constant stirring: "polenta, for most of its cooking, is left unattended.... If you don't have to stir it all the time, you can cook it for hours—what does it matter, as long as you're nearby?"[5] Cook's Illustrated magazine has described a method using a microwave oven that reduces cooking time to 12 minutes and requires only a single stirring to prepare 3½ cups of cooked polenta, and in March 2010 presented a stovetop, near stir-less method, using a pinch of baking soda (adding alkali), which replicates the traditional effect.[6][7][8] Kyle Phillips suggested making it in a polenta maker or in a slow cooker.[9]
Cooked polenta can be shaped into balls, patties, or sticks, and then fried in oil, baked, or grilled until golden brown; fried polenta is called crostini di polenta or polenta fritta. This type of polenta became particularly popular in southern Brazil following northern Italian immigration.
http://www.ohio.com/lifestyle/abraham/polenta-one-of-the-best-foods-you-aren-t-eating-1.257900
L ike Southern grits or Amish mush, polenta is cooked cornmeal. But unlike those other two dishes, polenta is typically laced with butter and Parmesan cheese, which give it a lush savoriness.
As a creamy porridge, it takes the place of mashed potatoes, and pairs with savory toppings or meat dishes with a sauce, like osso bucco.
In its classic presentation, polenta is served creamy, with meat sauce or vegetables. Traditionally, the porridge would be spooned over a wooden board, topped with meat such as crumbled sausage or classic beef ragu, and eaten communally from the center of the table.
Creamy polenta can be layered into lasagna instead of noodles, or served in individual bowls.
When firm, polenta can be cut into wedges or squares and baked or pan fried to create a foundation for meat, vegetables or sauces, with a crisp outside and soft interior.
Cut into sticks and deep fried, firm polenta is an alternative to french fries, with crispy outsides and creamy centers. Small squares of baked polenta can replace crackers or crostini in appetizers, and also are gluten-free.
Polenta is made like any hot cereal, by whisking it into boiling water, and then reducing the heat to cook it until it the water is absorbed and it forms a soft porridge, the consistency of firm oatmeal.
Italian chef and cookbook author Lidia Matticchio Bastianich suggests boiling it with fresh bay leaves to impart additional flavor to the porridge.
POLENTA WITH SAUSAGE SAUCE
For the sauce:
1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 lbs. Italian (hot or mild) sausage, bulk or removed from its casing
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 celery stalk, minced
½ leek, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. tomato paste
½ cup water
For the polenta:
2 quarts water
Salt, to taste
2 cups cornmeal
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Place the porcini mushrooms in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Let them soak for 20 minutes, then drain and coarsely chop.
In a saucepan, heat the oil, then add the sausage. Once the fat of the sausage starts rendering, after about 3 minutes, add the onion, celery, leek, carrot and the porcini, making sure you break the sausage up as it starts cooking. Cook for 10 minutes longer, then mix the tomato paste with the water and add to the saucepan.
Stir well, cover, and cook very slowly for 30 to 40 minutes. If necessary, add a little bit of water during cooking to make sure the sauce doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
To make the polenta, bring the water to a simmer. Add salt and slowly add the cornmeal, making sure you whisk continuously. Simmer gently for about 45 minutes or until the polenta is done, stirring frequently to make sure the polenta does not stick. (See note.)
Remove the polenta from the heat, adjust seasoning, and add the butter and cheese (optional), mixing vigorously until combined.
Add the parsley to the sausage mixture. Serve the polenta and sausage together.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Editor’s note: Depending on the variety of polenta used (fine, medium or coarse grind) polenta may be done well before 45 minutes. Typically, look for a medium grind.
— Adapted from At Home with the Culinary Institute of America: Italian Cooking,
Gianni Scappin, Alberto Vanoli and Steven Kolpan
POLENTA PIZZETTES
4 cups cold water
1 cup cornmeal (polenta)
Salt, to taste
Olive oil
Pizza toppings such as tomato or pesto sauce, fresh basil, chopped fresh tomatoes, sauteed peppers, crumbled cooked sausage, grated mozzarella or Parmesan cheese
Bring water to a boil and add salt. Add polenta in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for approximately 15 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent lumps and sticking.
Remove from heat. Spread polenta into the bottom of a 9-inch-by-13-inch pan, either a rimmed sheet pan or a traditional cake pan, that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Smooth top.
Cool on countertop to room temperature. Cover polenta top with a sheet of plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to cool completely.
When ready to assemble pizzettes, use a 3-inch round cookie cutter or a water glass to cut polenta into about 12-15 rounds. Alternately, use a knife to cut polenta into squares. Place polenta on a baking sheet, brush lightly with olive oil and place in an oven that has been preheated to 400 degrees.
When polenta begins to crisp and brown on the edges (about 15 minutes), remove from oven and top with pizza toppings of your choice.
Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes until toppings are hot and bubbly.
Makes 12 to 15 appetizer portions.
— Lisa Abraham
http://www.yelp.com/topic/san-francisco-more-recipe-talk-anyone-know-what-to-do-with-polenta
Polenta can stand in for rice or potatoes with most dishes. You can top it with a tomato basil bruschetta topping, or with sausages in a marinara sauce. Or maybe use it as the base of a vegetable salad. I find that polenta lends itself really well to pairing with seafood, such as shrimp scampi or grilled salmon patties.
CINDY K. says:
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5/2/2006 Mori "moshi moshi" Y. says:
I’ve never had polenta or made it….but I once saw on the food network that they griddled it (like french toast) then served it with butter and syrup…yum!
http://www.slim-shoppin.com/first-time-making-or-eating-polenta/
