How To Make Polenta? Creamy, Cornmeal Porridge

• Food: Polenta

• Writer: Alice

• Content-Type: Food Blog

Due to a single easy prep step, this creamy polenta recipe comes together quickly. It can be eaten as a main course or as a side dish by adding tasty garnishes.

Although polenta is often overlooked in favor of the lauded Italian dishes pizza and spaghetti, in my opinion, both foods deserve praise.

Polenta, a coarsely crushed cornmeal porridge from northern Italy, is incredibly creamy and has a flavor of maize that is slightly sweet and buttery. It’s not a common breakfast item, in contrast to oat porridge.

I occasionally have this smooth, delicious porridge for breakfast, but I like to have it for dinner. It becomes an irresistible comfort food when topped with cheese, herbs, cooked veggies, or a savory sauce.

Below, you’ll discover my go-to recipe for this dish, along with my preferred preparation and serving methods.

Once you give it a try, you won’t be able to eat bread, pasta, and potatoes without including them in your regular rotation. Simple, healthful, and most importantly, delicious, it is all three.

CREATING POLENTA

It can take up to an hour of stirring over the stove to make a single serving of polenta, and it’s possible to wind up with a lumpy mess rather than a smooth porridge. However, I have a quick way of preparing creamy “instant” polenta when I need it in a hurry.

I pulse the cornmeal in the blender to make the granules less coarse before I begin cooking. Polenta is exceptionally creamy and cooks quickly when made with this fine cornmeal. Once you use this technique, there’s no going back!

After the cornmeal has been blended briefly, sift it with your hands to remove any clumps. Then, while constantly whisking, bring 3 cups of water to a simmer in a saucepan before gradually adding the polenta.

After adding a cup more of water, simmer the food for an additional 15 minutes while stirring. If the polenta begins to boil, lower the heat as necessary. Add up to 1/2 cup more water to the porridge if it starts to get too thick.

Add a generous amount of olive oil and a dash of salt after turning the heat off. Before eating, let it stand covered for 5 minutes. Enjoy!

TIPS FOR MAKING POLENTA

• Before cooking, sift the cornmeal that has been combined. The fine grounds of cornmeal will probably stick together after you’ve given it a few pulses in the blender. Use a fork or your fingers to break up any clumps in the mixed cornmeal to prevent having huge lumps in your cooked polenta.
• As you pour the cornmeal into the boiling water, whisk continuously. The biggest risk in preparing polenta is lumps, although they are simple to avoid. Not all at once, but gradually, add the cornmeal to the water while whisking continually. Continuous whisking will uniformly distribute the cornmeal grounds throughout the water, preventing clumping.
• As it sits, it will get thicker. If you don’t intend to consume the cooked polenta straight away, you’ll probably need to thin it out before serving it. Reheat the thickened polenta on the stove over low heat, thinning it as necessary with additional water or olive oil to achieve the appropriate consistency. Before serving, taste it and make any necessary seasoning adjustments. You’ll probably need to add another pinch of salt after adding the additional liquid.

SERVING IDEAS FOR POLENTA

A delicious base for savory toppings is polenta. The simplest way for me to eat it is as a side dish with freshly cracked black pepper and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.

For crunch, I occasionally add roasted chickpeas or toasted pine nuts. If not, I’ll add a cooked vegetable and a flavorful sauce on the top to make it a meal in and of itself:

• The ideal method to give this creamy dish a robust texture, richness, and taste is to add cooked vegetables. Try serving it with grilled mixed veggies or zucchini, sautéed mushrooms, roasted broccoli, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, butternut squash, or cauliflower.
• The secret to changing this from a side dish into a head-turning entree is a zesty sauce. It goes particularly well with homemade pesto, chimichurri, or marinara sauce.

POLENTA

A great side dish or main course, this creamy, silky polenta is! It comes together quickly, making it ideal for hectic nights because I blend the cornmeal first before cooking it.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup stone-ground polenta*
• 4 to 4 1/2 cups water, divided
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, more to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pulse the dry polenta in a blender to smooth out the granules. This helps the polenta cook more quickly and gives it a creamy texture. Remove from the blender and check for lumps by rubbing your hands through it.
2. 3 cups of water should be simmering rapidly in a medium pot. Stir the polenta in gradually. Add 1 more cup of water, stir periodically, and simmer for 15 minutes. Whisk in the final 1/2 cup of water if your polenta is too thick. Creamy polenta is preferred.
3. Add the olive oil and sea salt after turning off the heat. 5 minutes should pass after covering. Serve hot with seasoning to taste.

NOTES

The polenta will thicken as it stands, so take note of that. If you’re not serving it right away, you can reheat it by whisking in more water or extra virgin olive oil to make it creamy and smooth once again.