Polenta

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I adore polenta. Growing up my mother would make it often for Sunday dinners. I love its thick, creamy and flavourful texture. In our region it is served with a rich and meaty meat sauce loaded with sausages and shredded short rib meat that has been simmering all day long.  Eaten with rapini and a dollop of ricotta cheese on top. What a combination! Be sure to get a little bit of everything in each bite and savour that taste sensation! My mother would pour the polenta on a large wooden board the size of our kitchen table that my dad had made for her when they were first married. She would smooth it out before it cooled and then put little dips into it with the back of her spoon for holding the sauce. The sauce would be poured on and the rapini and the sausages placed in the middle. We would then take a bit of ricotta and place in front of us and we began to dig in. We each had our own section and together we made the map of Italy. I was in charge of making the boot!!!!

There are different types of cornmeal and for the purpose of polenta a medium to course grind is recommended to attain that creamy consistency and firm texture. Fine grind will make the polenta too thin.

The usual ratio is 4 parts water to 1 part cornmeal flour but is only a guideline and gauging it by eye and by feel is needed. Polenta should be the consistency of a thick porridge.

There is a recipe for meat sauce in an earlier post. 

         

Ingredients 

• 8 cups of water in a stockpot or pasta pot
• 1 tbsp of fine sea salt
• butter
• 2 cups of coarse or medium ground cornmeal of a combination of both
• grated parmigiano- reggiano cheese
• toppings of your choice

Directions

1. Put water on to boil. Do not let water come to a full boil. Once tiny bubbles start to gather at bottom of pot add salt and butter. The butter prevents the cornmeal from clumping.
2.  Begin slowly pouring in the cornmeal. Place a fistful in your hand and sprinkle the cornmeal slowly into the water. 
3. Continue sprinkling in the cornmeal as you stir the mixture consistently with a whisk.
4. Be sure to scrape the sides and the bottom consistently as well to prevent clumping and burning.
5. Continue whisking until flour has mixed well with water and there are no lumps.
6. Cover and ensure that the temperature is medium low so that a slow simmer is happening.
7. Take off lid every 5-10 minutes to give a very vigorous stir  with a long handled wooden spoon.
8. The polenta should be taking shape after first 10 minutes and more so after each one. If it appears too thin add a bit more but be sure to mix it in well. 
9. After 30 minutes the polenta should be done. It is done when the texture is creamy and the individual grains are tender.
10. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes with lid on. Stir in a handful of grated parmigiano and another tablespoon of butter.
11. Place a small amount of sauce on bottom of dish. Ladle polenta on top and spread out with the back of the ladle.
12. Allow to sit for a few minutes as it will continue to thicken up.
13. Put some dips into polenta with back of spoon.
14. Pour sauce on top and sprinkle with more cheese!

A Mangia!

Fatto con amore,

Elena 💜