My Nonni's Polenta

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 10 cups water
• Tablespoon sea salt
• 2 cups polenta (coarse yellow cornmeal)
• ¼ cup olive oil

*Optional ingredients:

• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• ¼ pound (1 stick) butter
• ½ cup mascarpone cheese

Cooking Instructions

Put 10 cups cold water in a heavy-bottom pot with the olive oil and salt. Bring to a boil.
Add the polenta to the water in a gentle stream, whisking or stirring vigorously in the same direction, as you pour it in.
Reduce the heat to medium-low so that the water is simmering.
Stir continuously for the first 2-3 minutes to avoid any lumps.
When the polenta starts to mildly bubble away, stir it every few minutes to prevent it from sticking. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom and sides. Adjust the heat as necessary.
Cook for 35- 40 minutes. The polenta mixture will be thick and glossy and just pulling away from the sides.
To finish the polenta, turn off the heat and stir in cheese. You can also add the butter and mascarpone cheese.

Cooking tips:

The more you stir, the better the texture will be.
Cooking it longer will add more flavor.
Mix in more water if you want it softer, or turn up the heat, stirring vigorously, to thicken it.
Low-sodium chicken broth can be substituted for the water for a different taste. Use less salt to taste.
Polenta retains heat for up to 30 minutes, so you can cover the pot and leave it for 15 minutes or so before serving.


Variations for Basic Polenta:

Basic Polenta with Cheese and Meat Sauce

When we were young, we would scoop some hot polenta into our dishes, put a slice of soft Monterey Jack cheese or Gorgonzola on top. Top that off with more polenta and then pour some of My Nonni’s Meat Sauce over.

Fried Polenta

Make basic polenta recipe and pour into a 9 X 13 baking dish and chill.
Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
Remove polenta and slice into ½ inch thick by 3-inches wide slices.
Heat a small amount of olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
Add polenta slices and cook, turning once, until golden brown and crispy on both sides, about 8-10 minutes.
Put polenta fried slices on paper towels on a dish and keep warm in 200 degree oven while you continue to fry.
Be careful, the polenta will splatter while frying.
If you have left-over polenta, pour into a baking dish and refrigerate. Unmold and slice.
We used to love pouring syrup over the fried polenta for a breakfast treat.
You can also serve it for a lunch or dinner side dish with My Nonni’s Meat Sauce over it.

Baked Polenta

Make basic polenta recipe and chill polenta in a 9 X 13 baking dish.
Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Slice or cube polenta and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes until lightly browned and crispy. Turn polenta once half-way thru baking.
Grilled Polenta

Make basic polenta recipe and chill polenta in a 9 X 13 baking dish.
Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
Slice or cube polenta and brush both sides of polenta with olive oil.
Place on a hot grill and cook, turning once until well marked and heated through – about 2 minutes on each side.

Creamy Polenta (Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of whole milk
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup polenta (coarse yellow cornmeal)

Cooking Instructions:

Combine milk, butter, sugar and salt in a heavy-bottom saucepan and heat just to a simmer.
Slowly add the polenta in a thin stream, whisking in the same direction constantly.
Lower heat to medium-low and continue to stir the polenta with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to thicken and mildly perk.
Stir mixture every few seconds, scraping the bottom and sides of pan.
Cook 25-30 minutes

Polenta with Mascarpone (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 8 tablespoons instant polenta
• Salt / Pepper
• ½ pound Mascarpone cheese
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Cooking Instructions:

Bring milk to a boil in a saucepan.
Add polenta, salt, pepper.
Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.
Add mascarpone and cream.
Continue cooking until cheese melts, 2-3 minutes.

Source:

http://www.mynonnis.com/recipes/polenta.asp