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Don't be afraid of polenta

recipe

Man, I love polenta (which is the glorified Italian version of the South's grits). It's essentially medium-ground corn meal cooked to a porridge state -- for soft polenta -- and sometimes cooled -- for the hard version of polenta. Many people also love polenta but are afraid to make it themselves. That's just hogwash.

If you think that cooking polenta requires 45 minutes of stirring a cornmeal goo... you'd be right... if you're talking about the traditional method of cooking polenta. I'm a big fan of tradition where its results are superior; however, in the case of polenta, screw tradition.

Here's a wonderful polenta meal. The following is a good soft polenta with mushroom sauce and a companion salad. It should take about 1.5 hours (start by making the salad up to adding dressing and then start polenta). (Note: you can let the polenta cool for hours in a baking dish or in muffin pans to get hard polenta pieces for broiling, etc.)

Read on for recipes for "Polenta with Portabello Mushroom Sauce" and "Arugula, Tomato and Black Olive Salad"...

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Polenta with Portabello Mushroom Sauce

Serves: 4

  • 8 c. water
  • 2 c. polenta (medium-grind cornmeal)
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
  • 1 lb. of portabello mushrooms, cut in 1/2-inch slices
  • 1 c. canned crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 c. red wine
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • grated parmesan

Directions:

  1. Make polenta: Boil water and salt. Lower to medium heat. Whisk in cornmeal in slow, steady stream. Whisk constantly as it returns to a boil; simmer. Whisk for a couple minutes constantly until you feel it thicken. Reduce the heat to the slightest simmer (bubbles just barely popping through the top). Cover and cook very slowly, stirring every 10 minutes, for 35-40 minutes or until "raw" cornmeal flavor is gone. Right before serving, add butter in pieces and stir to incorporate.

  2. Make shroom sauce: While the polenta is cooking very slowly, heat oil in large saute pan. Add garlic and rosemary (and onion if you want it) and saute on medium heat for 1 minute. Add shrooms, toss to coat. Cook 5-7 minutes, until brown and tender. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and wine and bring mixture to a boil. Take heat to low and reduce sauce for about 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings.

  3. Serve: Divide polenta among bowls (did you add the butter?). Spoon shroom sauce over each portion. Serve immediately with grated cheese.

Arugula, Tomato and Black Olive Salad

Serves: 4

  • 4 c. stemmed arugula leaves (rip the stems from the leaves one-by-one)
  • 1 lb. ripe tomatoes, cut into eighths or sixths
  • 20-30 small black (nicose) olives
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tsp. red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

  1. Place arugula, tomatoes and olives in a large salad bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle vinegar and then olive oil over salad. Toss to coat and adjust seasonings.

Enjoy!