Post by cyberobb99 on Mar 1, 2013 18:15:03 GMT -5
Polenta is a great side dish for anyone who's tired of the same old rice, noodles or potatoes all the time. It's also surprisingly easy to make and to dress up. There are just a few simple rules to follow, and I'll mark those in bold print.
Basic Polenta
Ingredients:
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup cold water
2 cups boiling water
pinch of salt
Start out by pouring your cornmeal, salt and cold water into a pan and stirring it until it's thoroughly mixed. It's important to moisten the meal before heating it. Next, boil 2 cups of water, and keep it hot. Turn the heat on under your moistened cornmeal and pour 1 cup of boiling water into the pan. From now until it's finished you must stir almost constantly, never leaving it for more than 30 seconds. As the cornmeal starts to cook it will begin to thicken. if you are going to eat your polenta soft, like grits, then don't allow it to get thick or clumpy before adding more boiling water. Once you've added the last of the boiling water cook it for a few more minutes and your basic soft polenta is done.
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i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z440/Cyberobb99/Poulet%20Chasseur/P1050677.jpg [/img] This picture is dry cornmeal in a pan...before adding water or heating.
Variations
1) Polenta Cakes. If you want to make polenta cakes follow the recipe as above to start, except use only 1 1/2 cups boiling water so that the finished polenta is much firmer. When it's done cooking take a 10x 14 greased sheet pan and spread the polenta on it to about 1/2" thick, then chill it completely. This should be done several hours if not the day before you plan to use it. Once the polenta is chilled and set you can remove the pan and cut the dough into squares or use a cookie cutter, biscuit cutter or glass to cut rounds. Dust them with a bit of salted flour and fry them until their outsides are crispy. Regarding frying, this is important; Do not use whole butter to fry them. You can use fortified butter or a cooking oil.
Here's a great idea for you.... steam some asparagus , stack them on top of a piece of fried polenta and then pour Hollandaise sauce on them.
2) Creamy Soft Polenta. To make a creamy polenta start out with 1 cup of cold milk instead of water.
3) Polenta Con Formaggio. This is simple, but really special. Start out by making the above Creamy Soft Polenta recipe. When you are down to the last 1/2 cup of boiling water, add 1/2 cup of shredded and smoked provolone, Gouda or (preferably) Gruyere. Add the last 1/2 cup of water and finish cooking. Right before serving stir in 1/4 cup of lardon or bacon crumbles.
4) Polenta Con Spinaci. Make a batch of C.S.P. as above. Reduce the boiling water by 1/2 cup. Stir in 3/4 cup of hot, cooked and drained chopped spinach and 1/4 cup shredded Parm.
5) Grilled Polenta. This one's tricky... make Polenta cakes. Heat your grill and grease it thoroughly. Carefully place cakes on a well-greased grill and cook for a couple of minutes, then flip them ONCE and repeat.
Give this a try soon!
Basic Polenta
Ingredients:
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup cold water
2 cups boiling water
pinch of salt
Start out by pouring your cornmeal, salt and cold water into a pan and stirring it until it's thoroughly mixed. It's important to moisten the meal before heating it. Next, boil 2 cups of water, and keep it hot. Turn the heat on under your moistened cornmeal and pour 1 cup of boiling water into the pan. From now until it's finished you must stir almost constantly, never leaving it for more than 30 seconds. As the cornmeal starts to cook it will begin to thicken. if you are going to eat your polenta soft, like grits, then don't allow it to get thick or clumpy before adding more boiling water. Once you've added the last of the boiling water cook it for a few more minutes and your basic soft polenta is done.
Variations
1) Polenta Cakes. If you want to make polenta cakes follow the recipe as above to start, except use only 1 1/2 cups boiling water so that the finished polenta is much firmer. When it's done cooking take a 10x 14 greased sheet pan and spread the polenta on it to about 1/2" thick, then chill it completely. This should be done several hours if not the day before you plan to use it. Once the polenta is chilled and set you can remove the pan and cut the dough into squares or use a cookie cutter, biscuit cutter or glass to cut rounds. Dust them with a bit of salted flour and fry them until their outsides are crispy. Regarding frying, this is important; Do not use whole butter to fry them. You can use fortified butter or a cooking oil.
Here's a great idea for you.... steam some asparagus , stack them on top of a piece of fried polenta and then pour Hollandaise sauce on them.
2) Creamy Soft Polenta. To make a creamy polenta start out with 1 cup of cold milk instead of water.
3) Polenta Con Formaggio. This is simple, but really special. Start out by making the above Creamy Soft Polenta recipe. When you are down to the last 1/2 cup of boiling water, add 1/2 cup of shredded and smoked provolone, Gouda or (preferably) Gruyere. Add the last 1/2 cup of water and finish cooking. Right before serving stir in 1/4 cup of lardon or bacon crumbles.
4) Polenta Con Spinaci. Make a batch of C.S.P. as above. Reduce the boiling water by 1/2 cup. Stir in 3/4 cup of hot, cooked and drained chopped spinach and 1/4 cup shredded Parm.
5) Grilled Polenta. This one's tricky... make Polenta cakes. Heat your grill and grease it thoroughly. Carefully place cakes on a well-greased grill and cook for a couple of minutes, then flip them ONCE and repeat.
Give this a try soon!
