This past week, I made the best Beef Short Rib Ragu with Pappardelle. So this week, I had to find a use for the leftovers, since I am a single guy and I wanted to find a way to keep my vacuum sealer from working overtime. Polenta has always been a dish that sat under my radar. I always heard how difficult it was to make, so I went in other directions. However, lately, I’ve been hearing how much I’ve been missing out. So today I jumped in with both feet and made the perfect polenta dish.
As you may, or may not know, polenta is the Italian version of American Southern grits. If you can’t find polenta, can you use grits? Sure you can! The texture might be a little different. However, if you are adding other ingredients to your dish like cheese and herbs, then you may not even be able to tell the difference.
I have found that cooking polenta is not as difficult as most recipes/people make it sound. You do have to keep an eye on it to keep it from burning on the bottom, but you certainly do not have to stand at the pot continuously and stir for 45 minutes.
One of the basics that I found to work for me is that the ratio of liquid to polenta should be 5 to 1. For example 5 cups of liquid to 1 cup of polenta. Liquid being water or chicken broth. Also, you don’t need to heat your liquid first before adding the polenta. I added my polenta to cold water and chicken broth and then turned on my heat to medium-high. Do not boil. Once my polenta started to pop and spit, I reduced my heat to low.
The other basic is timing. A minimum of 40 to 45 minutes will cook your polenta to the best consistency. And if taste and flavor are a concern, never use instant polenta. Don’t hesitate to add to your polenta other ingredients like parmigiana or romano cheese, herbs, or bacon. I also added a couple of tablespoons of butter, just because butter makes everything better! Enjoy!
As always, thanks for Spending Time in My Kitchen! Please leave comments and let me know what you think. Tell me what dishes and recipes you are missing out on!
