Boiled Corn Meal
A favorite dish on autumn and winter tables, la polenta and its harvest, is celebrated in many regions. The new crop is eagerly awaited in the market, and upon its arrival, many town fairs called sagra della polenta are held on weekends offering a myriad of polenta specialties for sampling. In northern Italy, polenta is as important as risotto or pasta for the primo piatto and often served in dishes throughout the meal including dessert.
Originally a simple peasant dish, affordable and filling for home-cooked meals, today polenta is proudly featured in all types of restaurants in Italy, from trattorias to elegant Michelin-star restaurants. Peruse menus in different regions and you'll see variations of polenta accompanying fish and shellfish, roasted poultry and meat, braised game, assertive cheeses, hearty pasta sauces, braised vegetables and sautéed porcini, to name just a few choices. So versatile is this humble corn meal, that often it is a delicious component of antipasti and secondi piatti as well as dolce. Many people are passionate for torta and biscotti made with polenta, its distinctive flavor, color and crunchy texture unmistakable.
Polenta may be prepared using all fine or all coarse grains, with either yellow or white corn. Often yellow corn and a mix of fine with coarse grains is considered best, achieving an ideal texture that marries so well with most ingredients. It can be made in the traditional manner with organic grains, longer cooking time but worth it for its superior flavor and texture, or with instant polenta, cooking in a few minutes. It is served warm and soft as in this recipe, also grilled, baked, sautéed or fried. Store polenta grains in the freezer to avoid rancidity and maintain optimum freshness.
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4
cups filtered or mineral water (use water you enjoy drinking)*
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2
tablespoons unsalted butter
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salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
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2/3
cup fine yellow corn meal/polenta
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1/3
cup coarse yellow corn meal/polenta
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Additional Flavorings: optional -
fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, thyme, parsley to taste
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freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
While the polenta simmers, continue to scrape the sides and bottom of the saucepan. Keep the grains moving until they swell and the polenta becomes smooth and creamy. This could be up to 10 minutes for instant or quick-cooking polenta and 35-40 minutes for regular organic polenta, refer to the package for instructions.
2. Optional: During the last few minutes of simmering when the polenta is stiffening and becoming a bit laborious to stir, add any fresh herbs you like. Taste and adjust seasonings. At the very end, pull the saucepan off the heat and stir in the cheese. Serve immediately or cool for grilling, baking, sautéing or frying at a later time.
Mary Beth's Chef's Tip: * Since polenta is a natural product and its absorption of water varies, you may need to add a tablespoon or two more water during simmering to thin out its consistency.
For serving warm, soft polenta straight from the saucepan, remember to have everything ready and the table already set. Polenta begins to stiffen immediately upon cooling, so have accompaniments ready to serve or its sauce on the stove ready to heat during the final minutes. Try to serve on warm plates or bowls so polenta remains supple.
For a stiff polenta that you want to grill, bake, sauté or fry later, simply reduce the water by 1/4-1/2 cup, and proceed as above. When finished, turn-out the polenta onto a lightly-oiled pan. (Measure the pan first for how deep you want about 4 cups of cooked polenta to set-up. Usually stiff polenta is made into a layer 1/2" to 3/4" thick before the second cooking.) Allow to cool for 30 minutes or more before cutting and cooking. Once cooled, it remains excellent when refrigerated up to a few days.
