Polenta

From the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis

Introduction

Warm and comforting foods abound in every culture. We certainly would recognize mashed potatoes as one from our culture. But how about that wonderful Italian import, polenta? Healthy and easy. The New World sent corn to the Italians and they sent us back a fine bowl of steaming polenta. Think of this as an excellent accompaniment when you are serving any braised or roasted meat or fowl.

Ingredients

Steps

1. Bring water and milk to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan. Reduce heat so that the mixture bubbles slowly, but steadily. Stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, drizzle in cornmeal about ¼ cup at a time, until polenta is the texture of firm mashed potatoes, 20 to 25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.
2. Portion a generous spoonful onto warm plates. Make a well in the polenta with the back of a spoon. Drizzle a bit of olive oil in the well and sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Try to plan your meal so you can cook the polenta last. It tends to get pretty thick if made to wait.
• This may seem like a large saucepan for the amount of polenta, but it can tend to sputter and spatter while you’re stirring.
• Instead of serving with olive oil in a well, add 1/2 cup of grated fontina cheese just before serving and omit the Parmesan.
• Milk as half the liquid adds a nice richness and depth of flavor, but if fat is a strong concern, use all water, or half water and half chicken stock.
• It may be possible to find specially ground polenta cornmeal in your market. Follow directions on your specific package. This meal sometimes requires more water and longer cooking than called for here.

This content is from the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis.