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Polenta
 Polenta is as common a staple for the Italian family,
as Apple Pie is to America. Making Polenta
requires a lot of stirring. That's what family is
for. When the cooking started, relatives showed up
from the four corners of the world and took turns
with the wooden spoon.
When the polenta and the sauce was finished, the
feast began.
Polenta, often referred to as Mush, is made from corn meal. I recommend Stone Ground, which is not refined, has more glutten, and has a richer flavor than de-germinated corn meal. Some of the old timers use chicken stock instead of water. Although store bought, ready-made Polenta in plastic sleeves is available, nothing beats the taste of fresh ingredients.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups water*
- 1 cup polenta*
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 ounces butter
- 2 Tablespoons grated cheese
Bring two and one half cups of the salted water to a boil in a large saucepan.
Mix the corn meal into one cup of cold water. Slowly wisk in the cold water and polenta mix into the boiling water. As soon as the water and cornmeal is
mixed, lower the heat and continue stirring with
a long handled wooden spoon. Stir until the batch
thickens.This will take at least 30 minutes. When you achieve the correct consistency, gently fold in the butter and grated cheese.
* The amounts of liquid and corn meal used in this recipe may vary upon how thick you desire the batch to be. These amounts are only starting points and you will learn with experience. The technique of adding the corn meal to a cup of cold water before the entire mixture is wisked together is helpful in preventing initial clumping.
When completed, empty the entire batch onto a large
flat surface and shape it into a rectangle about 2 inches
thick, or spoon it into a greased 2 inch baking dish and bake at 350 degrees until the top is golden brown.
From this point on, there are many possibilities.
You may simply cut off a square, top it with red
sauce and grated cheese. I prefer baking it.
Grilled Polenta Cakes, either served plain or with melted cheese and toppings, can be shaped with cookie cutters and are excellent appetizers.
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