Soft Polenta Recipes

SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, combine the stock and cream, and bring to a boil. Add the nutmeg and salt. Whisk in the polenta and semolina and cook over low heat for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring often, until the grains are soft. Fold in the cheeses. Serve immediately or reserve.
• To encourage polenta to come cleanly out of the pan, cook over medium heat. Run a spatula or wooden spoon around the sides of the pan to clean off the polenta. Do not stir, but wait and watch for a few seconds until a large bubble begins to form and pushes the polenta upward. Pour immediately into a warm dish.
• The polenta can be made ahead and reheated: add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water or stock, cover the dish, and reheat in the microwave or over low heat. Whisk well before serving. Grate a dusting of Parmesan over the top just before serving.

SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring 3 cups water to a full boil in a heavy pot. Simmer the remaining water close by.
• Add the salt and rapidly stir the water with a whisk, creating a vortex. Continuing to stir constantly, add the polenta in a thin stream into the vortex.
• Continue to stir after all the polenta has been added, then lower the heat to a simmer rather than a boil.
• As the polenta thickens, replace the whisk with a long-handled wooden spoon.
• Add the 1 cup of remaining water and continue to stir. Break up any lumps with the back of the spoon pressed against the pot.
• Continue stirring the polenta, reaching to the bottom of the pot as necessary, until it gets thick and pulls away from the sides of the pot.
• Taste the polenta to test tenderness; add additional water if necessary. The polenta can take 15 to 60 minutes to cook properly, depending on its type.
• During the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in the pepper and butter, then add the cheese.
• Remove from heat.
• If serving immediately, pour onto a large platter or into a bowl or individual dishes.

SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over high heat, bring 4 cups water with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to a boil. Very gradually, add cornmeal in a thin stream, whisking constantly until smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, whisking often, until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butter until smooth.

EASY OVEN-BAKED REAL POLENTA (NOT INSTANT)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
• Pour water into the prepared dish; stir in polenta and salt.
• Bake in the preheated oven until polenta is thickened, about 40 minutes. Stir in squash, sour cream, and Cheddar cheese. Continue baking until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

QUICK SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring 4 cups water, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper to a boil over high heat. Whisking constantly, very gradually add cornmeal in a thin stream, whisking until smooth before adding more.
• Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, whisking often, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and butter until smooth. Serve immediately.

SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring 6 cups water, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in heavy large saucepan. Gradually whisk in polenta. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir constantly until polenta thickens, about 5 minutes.
• *Quick-cooking polenta (precooked maize meal) is available at some supermarkets and at Italian markets.

BASIC POLENTA

Steps:

• For firm polenta use 4 cups water; for soft polenta use 5 cups water. Bring water to a boil in a medium-size heavy sauce pan 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.
• Turn heat to low. Cook for at least 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. If polenta becomes quite thick, thin it with 1/2 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.
• For firm polenta, lightly butter a baking sheet or shallow dish, approximately 8 1/2 by 11 inches. Carefully pour polenta into pan. Using a spatula, spread polenta to a thickness of 3/4 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.

BASIC SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring the stock to a boil in a medium sauce pan.
• Slowly add cornmeal to the pot whisking constantly to prevent clumping.
• Return to a simmer while continuing to whisk.
• Reduce heat to as low as possible, cover, and cook for 30-50 minutes stirring ever 2-4 minutes.
• Serve as is or pour polenta into a rectangular baking dish, chill for several hours to set the polenta, cut into wedges or circles, bake, sauté, or fry the pieces of polenta until golden brown and crisp.

SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• In a 4-quart heavy saucepan bring water to a boil with salt and bay leaves and gradually whisk in cornmeal in a thin stream. Cook mixture over moderate heat, whisking, 2 minutes and cover pan. Simmer polenta, covered, over low heat, stirring for 1 minute after every 10 minutes of cooking, 45 minutes total. Remove pan from heat and discard bay leaves.

HOW TO MAKE PERFECT POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan; pour polenta slowly into boiling water, whisking constantly until all polenta is stirred in and there are no lumps.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking often, until polenta starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Polenta mixture should still be slightly loose. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, whisking every 5 to 6 minutes. When polenta is too thick to whisk, stir with a wooden spoon. Polenta is done when texture is creamy and the individual grains are tender.
• Turn off heat and gently stir 2 tablespoons butter into polenta until butter partially melts; mix 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into polenta until cheese has melted. Cover and let stand 5 minutes to thicken; stir and taste for salt before transferring to a serving bowl. Top polenta with remaining 1 tablespoon butter and about 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnish.