Cooked coarse-ground corn meal, whether you call it polenta or grits, is tasty stuff. It is can be served just after cooking or allowed gel into a flavorful brick that can be grilled, pan seared or deep fried. It is infinitely alterable just be swapping out an ingredient or two.
Polenta does require supervision and a fair bit of stirring. The results are worth the effort.
Basic Polenta
Servings: 4-6
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup coarse-ground cornmeal (often called corn grits or polenta)
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 Tbsp. cubes
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
- Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Crush the dried thyme between your finger tips and it, along with the salt, to the water. Allow the salt to dissolve then sprinkle the cornmeal over the water, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. I stir for about 10-15 seconds out of every minute for the first 15 minutes and then constantly for the last 5.
- Turn off the heat and add the butter, cheese, and pepper. Stir until the butter has melted and incorporated.
- Taste, adjust salt and pepper as desired. Serve with the savory topping of your choice (mine is often shrimp).
Notes:
Polenta solidifies fairly quickly, creating a solid that can be sliced. It can be served cold or pan-seared before serving. Coat the inside of a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and transfer the hot, cooked polenta into the pan. Press plastic wrap onto the top of the polenta to keep it from drying out and allow it to cool for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
To prep it for cooking just remove the plastic wrap, slide a knife around the edges of the polenta loaf and upturn it onto a cutting board. Slice into 1/2″-3/4″ rounds and fry in a non-stick skillet for 2-3 minutes per side.
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