Polenta, a classic Italian dish made from cornmeal, offers a hearty and versatile base for a variety of culinary creations. This versatile dish can be enjoyed as a main course, a side dish, or even as a breakfast porridge. Whether you prefer it creamy and soft or crispy and grilled, polenta provides a blank canvas for a world of flavor combinations.
This article presents a collection of delectable polenta recipes that showcase the diverse possibilities of this humble ingredient. From a savory dish featuring roasted vegetables and herbs to a sweet and indulgent treat with fresh berries and honey, these recipes cater to various tastes and occasions. Discover the secrets of crafting the perfect polenta, explore innovative flavor pairings, and find inspiration for your next culinary adventure with this comprehensive guide to polenta.
POLENTA WITH FRESH HERBS AND WHITE CHEDDAR CHEESE
Steps:
- Combine broth, all herbs, garlic and salt in heavy large saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Gradually sprinkle in polenta, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until polenta is thick and creamy and begins to pull away from sides of pan, whisking often, about 25 minutes. Add cheese; stir until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
- *If unavailable, use 1 2/3 cups regular cornmeal and cook for about 12 minutes.
HERBY POLENTA WITH CORN, EGGS AND FETA
Cooking polenta in the oven has turned out to be quite a game-changer for me, and completely contradicts the belief that polenta needs to consistently be attended to. Do try to find coarse cornmeal here rather than the quick-cooking kind, as that style of polenta simply won't yield the same smooth and creamy result that you're looking for. You can also swap out the chicken stock for vegetable stock or water if you're looking for a vegetarian alternative. I like to serve this as a midday brunch with a zesty green salad, as it's hearty enough to keep you going until dinner.
Provided by Yotam Ottolenghi
Categories casseroles, grains and rice, main course
Time 1h15m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius.
- Add the corn to a food processor and pulse once or twice, just until roughly chopped. Transfer corn to a large bowl and add the spinach, cornmeal, Parmesan, scallions, 1/4 cup cilantro, parsley, dill, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a good grind of pepper; stir to combine. Transfer this mixture to a large, deep, oven-proof skillet, then add the milk, stock and butter, stirring gently to mix through. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and give everything a good whisk.
- Return to the oven and bake until the cornmeal is cooked through and the mixture has thickened, about 20 minutes. Give the polenta another good whisk - it should be quite smooth and not completely set - then stir in half the feta. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees Fahrenheit/220 degrees Celsius.
- Use a dinner spoon to make 8 shallow wells in the polenta. Crack an egg into each well and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining feta all over, and bake until the egg whites are cooked and the yolks are still runny, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the reserved scallions and cilantro in a bowl with the oil. Spoon this mixture all over the polenta and eggs and sprinkle with the red-pepper flakes. Serve directly from the pan.
BAKED HERBED POLENTA
Steps:
- Bring water and salt to boil in large saucepan. While whisking water in circular motion, pour in cornmeal in a slow steady stream, keeping the water boiling as you do so. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick, from 5 to 15 minutes depending on kind of cornmeal used. Add cream, Parmesan and herbs. Pour into greased pan. Cool and refrigerate, covered. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut polenta into slices and brush with oil. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until heated through.
CREAMY CHEDDAR POLENTA WITH FRESH HERBS
Provided by Cooking Channel
Categories side-dish
Time 30m
Yield 6 to 8 mini-cup servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Bring 2 cups of water, the milk and a very large pinch of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce the heat so the liquid is at a low simmer, and add the cornmeal in a slow and steady stream, constantly whisking to prevent lumps. Cook the polenta at a low simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes; if the mixture gets too thick, add water 1/2 cup at a time.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the butter and olive oil and then stir in the Cheddar. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Serve immediately in mini cups, topped with chopped herbs
HERBED POLENTA
Provided by Giada De Laurentiis
Categories side-dish
Time 35m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Bring the water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the cheese, milk, butter, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and pepper, and stir until the butter and cheese melt. Transfer the polenta to a bowl and serve.
POLENTA WITH HERBS
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories side-dish
Time 55m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- In a medium saucepan, over medium-low heat, the heat the oil with the garlic, and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the broth and milk, and bring to a boil over high heat. While whisking constantly, slowly pour the cornmeal into the hot liquid. Stir in the salt. Lower the heat to cook the mixture at a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the cornmeal is creamy and not all grainy, about 30 minutes. Remove the polenta from the heat and stir the cheese, butter, and the herbs. Serve.
CAPONATA AND HERB POLENTA
Provided by Rachael Ray : Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 35m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 27
Steps:
- Place the cutting board near the stovetop. Preheat a big, deep pot over medium heat. Add oil, garlic, and crushed pepper. As you chop vegetables (peppers, onion, and celery), add them to the pot. Once vegetables are in there, increase heat a bit.
- Stir in olives, capers, and raisins. Salt the diced eggplant and stir into the pot. Add tomatoes, diced and crushed, to the pot and stir caponata well to combine. Cover pot and cook caponata 15 to 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Stir in parsley and remove pan from heat.
- Polenta: Bring 3 cups chicken broth to a boil. Add polenta and stir constantly until the cornmeal masses together. Stir in herbs, butter, cheese, salt, and pepper.
- Spread polenta out over a serving platter. Make a shallow well from the center out and fill with half of the prepared caponata. This stands as a complete dinner on its own, so rich with vitamins and fresh vegetables. Refrigerate the remaining caponata for a later use.
- If you prepare a salad, keep it simple. Dress mixed greens with oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Caponata can also be used as a bruschetta topping.
POLENTA CRUSTED ROASTED POTATOES WITH HERBS AND GARLIC
Toss Yukon gold potatoes with pre-made polenta for a trend-worthy new side dish. Add just a bit of garlic, sea salt and fresh herbs to finish off the dish.
Provided by By Stephanie Wise
Categories Side Dish
Time 45m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Heat oven to 425°F. Cut potatoes into medium-size chunks (about 8 pieces per half-potato). Place potatoes in 2-quart saucepan of salted water. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-high; simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender.
- Drain potatoes; place in large bowl. Gently toss potatoes with polenta, sea salt and pepper.
- Heat large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add olive oil; swirl to coat. When oil is hot, add herbs; cook 1 minute. Add potatoes, scattering in even layer in skillet. Place skillet to oven.
- Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until bottoms are golden and crisp. Turn potatoes; sprinkle with garlic. Bake 10 minutes longer or until crisp on both sides.
- Using slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to serving bowl or plate.
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 Serving
CREAMY BAKED POLENTA WITH HERBS AND GREEN ONIONS
Categories Milk/Cream Onion Side Bake Vegetarian New Year's Eve Parmesan Cornmeal Winter Thyme Parsley Monterey Jack Bon Appétit Sugar Conscious Pescatarian Wheat/Gluten-Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added Kosher
Yield Makes 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour 6 cups water into 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Whisk polenta, salt, and pepper into water. Bake uncovered 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in small skillet over medium heat. Add green onions and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in parsley and thyme, then cream. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
- Stir polenta to blend. Stir green onion mixture, cheese, and lemon peel into polenta. Continue to bake uncovered until polenta is creamy and liquid is completely absorbed, about 10 minutes longer. Let stand 5 minutes; serve.
SOFT POLENTA WITH ROASTED HERBS
Comfort food! Roasting the herbs lends them an even fuller flavor, giving ghe dish it's special savor! Adapted from Caprial's Cafe Favorites cookbook.
Provided by Sharon123
Categories Grains
Time 20m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over high heat until very hot. Add the garlic and shallots and saute until they begin to give off their aroma, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the stock and heat just to a boil. Gradually whisk in the polenta to avoid lumps from forming. Cook until the polenta is thick, 3-4 minutes. Add the cheese and cream and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Set aside.
- In a small saute pan over high heat, cook the butter until golden brown, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the herbs and immediately remove the pan from the heat. Stir the pan roasted herbs into the polenta and serve right away. Enjoy!
Tips:
- For the best polenta, use fresh cornmeal. Stone-ground cornmeal will give you a more flavorful polenta than finely-ground cornmeal.
- If you don't have a whisk, you can use a fork to stir the polenta.
- Be patient when cooking the polenta. It will take about 20 minutes to cook through.
- Stir the polenta constantly while it is cooking to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Season the polenta to taste with salt, pepper, and herbs. You can also add grated Parmesan cheese, butter, or olive oil.
- Polenta can be served hot, warm, or cold. It can be used as a side dish, main course, or even dessert.
Conclusion:
Polenta is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed in many different ways. It is a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Polenta is also a relatively inexpensive and easy-to-make dish. Whether you are looking for a hearty breakfast, a quick lunch, or a satisfying dinner, polenta is a great option. With its creamy texture and delicious flavor, polenta is sure to please everyone at your table.
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