Basic Polenta
Creamy, corn-sweet polenta pairs well with many fall flavors.
Ingredients
Olive oil for baking dish
1 cup medium ground yellow cornmeal
4 cups water, stock or milk, or a combination
1 tsp. salt
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil or butter a large baking dish. Add cornmeal, liquid and salt. Stir briefly (the cornmeal and liquid will look separate, but will come together while cooking).
Bake until liquid is absorbed, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve immediately or let stand 5 to 10 minutes to firm up a little. Polenta will continue to firm up as it cools off.
Serve polenta plain as a side dish or fancy it up by folding in cheese, sautéed shallots or cooked greens. Or add herbs or minced, cooked mushrooms to the mixture before baking.
Suggestions
Note: For very firm polenta, reduce the liquid to three cups. When it’s done, let the polenta cool thoroughly, cut it into shapes and reheat to serve. Or for more fun: When the polenta is cooled and cut, layer the shapes with grated cheese in a buttered dish and bake until brown-tipped and hot.
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