Polenta

Polenta is a coarsely ground cornmeal that is cooked into a mush and used in savory and sweet recipes. It can be eaten in this mushy stage or it can be made ahead of time, left to solidify so that it can be shaped, baked or fried.

The following recipe makes a nice plain polenta. You can jazz it up at the end by adding herbs, spices, cheese or  butter.

Polenta

8 c. water
1 tsp. salt
2 c. polenta

In a large pot, bring the water to a boil and add the salt. With a whisk, begin stirring the water as you slowly add the polenta. Turn heat to low and whisk frequently. As the mixture thickens, switch to a spoon. Polenta is done when it begins to pull away from the sides of the pot.

To harden, pour polenta into a lightly greased pan, Spread out the polenta with a spatula so that it is about a half inch thick. Let cool for at least an hour. You can then cut it into pieces to bake or fry. You can use a knife or cookie cutters. I like to cut it into triangles, spray with olive oil and bake until the edges are lightly browned. Then I arrange the triangles in slightly overlapping rows. I make a vegetable sauté- ( tomatoes, onions, garlic, squash, mushrooms) and spoon it over the centers of the rows.  Sprinkle on some grated asiago or parmesan and pop into the oven to melt the cheese.

If you make a nice stiff polenta, you can cut the cooled polenta into sticks and deep fry them to make polenta fries. Serve with a marinara sauce.

You can also cut the polenta into squares, fry to crisp the edges and serve with maple syrup and fruit for a yummy breakfast.

After you have spooned the polenta out of your  pot, pour in water to soak. Eventually the mess in the bottom of your pot will come out easily.