Polenta

Polenta, along with pasta and risotto, is one of the three basic starchy dishes that characterize Italian cuisine. It was originally a peasant food, as in times past cornmeal mush was an essential food in their everyday nutrition. Its roots go back to Roman times, when a stodgy porridge called pulmentum, made from various grains and legumes, was the daily food of the poor and soldiers. Before the introduction of corn (maize) from America in the 16th century, polenta was made from starchy ingredients like farro (wheat), chestnut flour, millet, spelt (wheat), and chickpeas.

However, since the late 20th century, polenta has become a premium product, often found on the menu in many high-end restaurants. Polenta is traditionally a slowly cooked dish. It sometimes takes an hour or longer, and constant stirring is necessary. This long, slow cooking allows the starches to break down slowly which gives it a creamy, rich texture.

When purchasing polenta pay attention to the coarseness of the flour.  Coarse grinds result in a firmer and coarser polenta.  A finer cornmeal is more suitable for a creamy and soft polenta.

Regular cornmeal (such as Quaker) has a sandlike texture that cooks up gluey as does the super-fine grains of quick-cooking cornmeal - avoid these. A coarser cut, about the size of couscous, retains a soft but hearty texture after cooking. For more information see Difference Between Polenta, Grits, and Cornmeal

Below are some traditional Italian recipes for polenta.

Also see the recipes for:

Basic Polenta
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

6 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 cups course grain yellow cornmeal, such as stone-ground
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 25 -30 minutes. You cannot rush the process by turning up the heat if you want a creamy product. Once the polenta has thickened, turn off the heat. Add the butter, and stir until melted.

Serve with something that has a lot of flavor as this tend to be a bit bland on its own. Or fry as in the recipe to the right.

You could also add some Parmesan cheese or a creamy Gorgonzola cheese to add flavor.

6 servings

Fried Polenta w/ Marinara Sauce
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

3 cups Basic Polenta, recipe to the left
2 cups olive oil, for frying
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Salt
1 cup marinara sauce

Lightly oil an 11 by 7-inch baking dish. Transfer the hot polenta to the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly to 3/4-inch thick. Refrigerate until cold and firm, about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Cut the polenta into 2 by 1-inch pieces. Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry the polenta pieces until golden brown on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer the polenta pieces to paper towels and drain. Place the polenta pieces on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while cooking the remaining batches.

Transfer the polenta pieces to a serving platter. Sprinkle the polenta with the Parmesan cheese and salt. Serve, passing the marinara sauce alongside.

6 servings

Note: you could try melting mozarella cheese on top in the oven and then serving with the marinara sauce on the side.