Polenta Classica
INGREDIENTS
Salt and pepper
Water
1 cup medium or
fine polenta
Butter
Parmesan for soft
polenta, optional
1.
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.
2.
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.
3.
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