Polenta

Ingredients

Polenta

• 300 gcoarse stone-ground cornmeal, bramata
• 1.5 litreswater
• 1 tbspsalt

To finish, soft

• 80 gbutter
• 150 gParmigiano Reggiano, grated

To finish, grilled

• olive oil, for brushing

To serve

• ragù, mushrooms, gorgonzola
• or braised meat and its sauce

Equipment

• a heavy pot
• a long wooden spoon

Directions

1. Use coarse stone-ground cornmeal, bramata, rather than fine or instant. Coarse meal gives the texture and the corn flavour that polenta is about. Bring the water to a boil with the salt in a heavy-based pot.
2. Salt the water properly at the start, because polenta seasoned at the end never tastes right. Now pour the cornmeal in very slowly, in a thin steady stream, whisking constantly with the other hand.
3. Add it in a thin stream and whisk without stopping. Use a long spoon and keep your face back. Cook it for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring often and scraping the base and corners.
4. Cook it for the full time. Traditional Veneto cooks stir it continuously for the whole time in a copper paiolo, and stirring every few minutes is a reasonable compromise.
5. Add hot water if it becomes too stiff before the time is up. It is ready when it comes away from the sides of the pot in a mass and no longer tastes of raw cornmeal.
6. Serve it immediately, spooned onto warm plates with a ragù, braised meat or mushrooms over it. Soft polenta sets as it cools and it will not wait, so it goes to the table straight from the pot.
7. Let it cool completely and set firm, which takes an hour or more, or overnight. Cut it into slices or triangles and brush them with olive oil. Grill or fry them for 4 to 5 minutes a side until crisp and marked. Let the slices sit undisturbed until they release from the pan on their own, or they tear.

Technique

• Instant polenta takes five minutes and is a real compromise on flavour and texture.
• White polenta is standard in the Veneto and is served with fish.
• Leftover set polenta grills or fries beautifully and is never wasted.

Substitutions

• Instant polenta, following the packet, when time is short.
• Half water and half milk or stock, which gives a richer result.

Variations

• Polenta taragna, with buckwheat and Alpine cheese.
• Polenta concia, beaten with a great deal of butter and fontina.
• Grilled and served under mushrooms or gorgonzola.

History

Northern Italy’s staple after maize arrived from the Americas in the sixteenth century; over-reliance on it caused pellagra epidemics.

Frequently asked questions

What is Polenta?

Polenta is a salad & side from Italy: creamy or grilled cornmeal, northern Italian staple. Northern Italy’s staple after maize arrived from the Americas in the sixteenth century; over-reliance on it caused pellagra epidemics.

How long does Polenta take to make?

Polenta takes 5 min of preparation and 45 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Polenta?

Yes, within limits. Instant polenta, following the packet, when time is short. Half water and half milk or stock, which gives a richer result.

What is the most important thing to get right in Polenta?

Use coarse stone-ground cornmeal, bramata, rather than fine or instant. Coarse meal gives the texture and the corn flavour that polenta is about. Bring the water to a boil with the salt in a heavy-based pot.