Polenta Recipe

Polenta Recipe

4 cups water
1 cup polenta (medium to coarse ground corn meal)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp fresh herbs, chopped (parsley, oregano, rosemary, etc)
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Bring water to a boil in a 2 quart pot. Slowly whisk in the polenta, making sure there are no clumps. Turn the heat down to low and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, for about 30 minutes as the polenta thickens. When cooked, the polenta should have a creamy texture and the corn meal should not be hard. Stir in the butter, Parmesan cheese, herbs, and salt and pepper. Spread in a buttered 9″x13″ pan. Refrigerate until cold and solid, about an hour.

Loosen the polenta with a spatula and invert it onto a cutting board. Cut into 3 1/4″ rounds with a circle cutteror cut into squares with a knife. I got 8 circles out of one sheet of polenta, enough for 4 servings. If you cut it into squares instead, you could probably get 6 portions out of it by cutting it 4×3. Place the cut pieces of polenta on a pan which can go into the broiler. If there are scraps of polenta, reserve for leftovers (see note below).

Note; this polenta can be served creamy as well. If so, add a little more butter and Parmesan and serve as soon as it is finished cooking.

Origin: http://www.formerchef.com/