Basic Polenta
Updated Oct. 30, 2023
- Total Time
- About an hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- Salt and pepper
- 1cup medium or fine cornmeal
- Butter
- Parmesan for soft polenta, optional
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
100 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 62 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
For firm polenta use 4 cups water; for soft polenta use 5 cups water. Bring water to a boil in a medium, heavy saucepan over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Pour cornmeal slowly into water, stirring with a wire whisk or wooden spoon. Continue stirring as mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Step 2
Turn heat to low. Cook for at least 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. If polenta becomes quite thick, thin it with ½ cup water, stir well and continue cooking. Add up to 1 cup more water as necessary, to keep polenta soft enough to stir. Put a spoonful on a plate, let it cool, then taste. Grains should be swollen and taste cooked, not raw. Adjust salt and add pepper if you wish.
- Step 3
For firm polenta, lightly butter a baking sheet or shallow dish, approximately 8½ by 11 inches. Carefully pour polenta into pan. Using a spatula, spread polenta to a thickness of ¾ inch. Cool to room temperature to allow polenta to solidify. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. For soft polenta, add 6 tablespoons butter to pot and stir well. Serve immediately or transfer to a double boiler set over low heat, cover and keep warm for up to an hour or so. (Or set the saucepan in a pot of barely simmering water.) Stir well before spooning into low soup bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired.
Private Notes
Comments
Italian grandmothers not withstanding, adding corn meal to boiling water is an act of self-inflicted masochism. I spent 35 years in the corn starch industry and corn meal is 90% corn starch. No one in that industry would ever add starch to boiling water. The result will be a lumpy mess, which will require either patience or a homogenizer to smoothen it. Simply slurry the meal in cold water and heat it to boiling with periodic stirring and hold for 15-30 minutes. Try it; you'll like it.
For 25 years I have been making oven polenta--easiest recipe ever and needs no "minding". In a large pot or oven-proof bowl, put one cup of cornmeal. Add 4 (+ or -) cups of water or stock or milk or combo. Add teaspoon of Kosher salt. Add (optional) a "knob" of butter. Give a stir. Put in oven at 350 (no need to pre-heat). Cook 30 minutes. Stir again. Cook 15+ minutes til nearly all the liquid is absorbed. Stir. Voila! Polenta to use in any recipe. EASY!
Joe is absolutely correct. No way can you add polenta to hot boiling water without creating a mess. The corn flour needs to be added to cold water as he instructed. I have been doing it like this for years as have my Itslian ancestors.
Sometimes I skip the Parmesan, season with a little nutmeg and serve with bacon and maple syrup or honey. I guess that’s the same as hush puppies.
This was a very easy recipe. I didn’t have a wooden spoon so tried to stir in the cornmeal with a metal spoon but that came out lumpy. I immediately used a whisk and that helped. (I will try the putting it in with cold water method next time.) Since I was in a rush to get dinner on the table, I forgot about the butter at the end, but I didn’t miss it. I served this with some leftover meatballs and sauce with the polenta with a generous sprinkling of Pecorino Romano , and it was so delicious!
No blobby mess for me when I added the cornmeal to the boiling water; I briskly whisked in Bob's Red Mill medium grain and it was great. I did five cups of water and it definitely needed to stand for about 10 minutes to not be soupy.