Polenta Cornbread Recipes

POLENTA CORNBREAD

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix flour, polenta, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, beat eggs to blend with buttermilk and 1/4 cup butter; pour into flour mixture. Stir batter until evenly moistened.
• Scrape batter into a buttered 8-inch square pan and spread level.
• Bake in a 400° oven until cornbread is browned, springs back when lightly pressed in the center, and begins to pull from pan sides, 20 to 25 minutes. Use hot or cool.

DAMN HOT POLENTA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Generously butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish; set aside. In a large bowl, stir the flour, polenta, cheese, scallions, sugar, baking powder, baking, soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula just until blended; do not over-mix.
• Add 3/4 cup Damn Hot Peppers and then stir in hot sauce, to taste. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and level it with a rubber spatula. Bake until the bread is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 35 minutes. Cool briefly and then cut into squares and serve warm. If not serving immediately, cover with more melted butter to keep moist overnight.
• In a non-reactive saucepan, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot add the bell peppers, jalapenos and sea salt. Cook over medium high heat for about 15 minutes or until the peppers are partially tender. Stir the bottom from time to time, adjusting the heat as necessary so that they don't brown. There will still be some liquid left in the pot.
• Add the tomatoes, lower the heat to a simmer and continue cooking for about 10 minutes, to reduce the tomato juice and finish cooking the peppers. Add additional salt, if needed. Add to batter as directed.

BASIC POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the butter, and stir until melted.

POLENTA-CRUSTED CHICKEN WITH CORNBREAD

Steps:

• If you have time, soak the chicken in the buttermilk (not regular milk) overnight. To make the cornbread, heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Grease 6 holes of a muffin tin, or a special cornbread tin if you have one. Tip the dry ingredients into a bowl and separately beat the eggs with the buttermilk or yogurt. Pour over the dry ingredients and beat together to make a batter. Divide the batter between the holes and bake for 20 mins until puffed up. Remove the tin from the oven and leave to cool.
• Put a rack in a roasting tin in the oven. Tip the polenta, flour and spices into a food bag with a generous pinch of salt and some pepper. Dip the chicken into the buttermilk, add a few pieces to the bag and shake to coat in the flour mixture, then place on a plate. Heat a decent puddle of oil in a large frying pan or wok and fry the chicken in batches until golden and crispy. When all the chicken has been fried, place it on the rack and bake for 30 mins until completely cooked through. Serve with the cornbread and some coleslaw.

CHILLI & CHEESE CORNBREAD (WITH POLENTA)

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 200c/400f.
• Mix the polenta, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
• Add the milk, eggs and butter to the dry ingredients and mix well until they become a batter.
• Core and de-seed the chilli and chop it finely. Grate the cheese and add it to the batter with the chilli.
• Grease a 7 inch baking tin (I use 1 cal spray) and pour the mixture into the tin.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
• Yum, yum!

CHEF JOHN'S THREE CORN POLENTA

Steps:

• Melt 1 teaspoon butter and olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook and stir 2/3 of the corn, with a pinch of salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper in the hot butter and oil until the corn is fragrant and golden, about 10 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Pour 2 cups water into corn mixture; bring to a simmer and whisk polenta into mixture. Bring to a simmer again, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick and polenta absorbs the water, 20 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup water and stir; cook for until water is completely absorbed, about 10 minutes more.
• Stir remaining corn and 1 teaspoon butter into polenta mixture. Remove from heat, cover the pot, and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

TUSCAN STYLE CORNBREAD (POLENTA BREAD)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F In a medium bowl combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a 10 inch cast iron skillet or 9-inch round cake pan and place in oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and swirl oil around to coat bottom and sides.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine half-and-half, eggs, and remaining oil. Crumble in bacon, then stir in tomatoes, shallot, and rosemary. Add dry cornmeal mixture and stir just until moistened. Pour batter into skillet or cake pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.
• Cut into wedges and serve with softened butter.