White Chocolate Polenta Recipes

MOIST CHOCOLATE POLENTA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Butter a 9 by 13-inch cake pan and line it with parchment or waxed paper.
• In the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter together. Stir well and set aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), whip the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar until very light yellow and fluffy. In a clean, dry bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue whipping just until stiff and glossy, about 30 seconds more. Fold the egg yolks into the hot chocolate mixture until barely blended. Fold in the whites until barely blended. Sprinkle the brandy and polenta evenly over the surface of the batter and fold in. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until the center is firm and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay), 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let cool in the pan. Cut into squares, dust with confectioner's sugar, and serve.

BAKED WHITE POLENTA WITH TWO CHEESES

Steps:

• Lightly butter 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish. Bring 12 cups water, 1 tablespoon salt, and garlic to boil in heavy large saucepan over high heat. Gradually add cornmeal, whisking until smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until cornmeal is very soft and mixture is thick and creamy, whisking often, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in half of cheddar cheese, all of mascarpone, 3 tablespoons butter, and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper. Transfer polenta to prepared dish. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Sprinkle remaining half of cheddar cheese over polenta. Dot with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Bake polenta until heated through and golden on top, about 25 minutes.
• Italian cream cheese, available at Italian markets and many supermarkets.

CREAMY WHITE POLENTA WITH MUSHROOMS AND MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Make polenta:
• Bring water to a simmer in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan. Add grits in a slow stream, whisking until incorporated. Simmer, stirring occasionally with a long-handled whisk or wooden spoon, until liquid is absorbed and polenta is thick and soft, about 30 minutes. (Grits will have a loose, risotto-like consistency.) Remove from heat and stir in cream, cheese, salt, and pepper. Keep warm, covered.
• Sauté mushrooms while polenta simmers:
• If using porcini, halve if large, then slice lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. If using oysters, trim spongy base if necessary and slice caps into 1/2-inch-wide strips. If using chanterelles, leave small mushrooms whole, halve if medium, and quarter if large. If using lobsters, cut into 1/2-inch pieces. If using hedgehogs, trim base of stems and halve caps if large.
• Heat oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden and any liquid they give off is evaporated, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add water, butter, lemon juice, and parsley and heat, swirling skillet, until butter melts and liquid forms a sauce.
• To serve:
• Top each serving of polenta with mushrooms and mascarpone. Serve immediately (polenta stiffens as it cools), sprinkled with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

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.

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.