Basic Polenta
When I was describing polenta to a friend of mine, he laughed and told me that as far as he was concerned it was just a fancy Italian name for "corn mush". In a way, he's right.
But, I've never thought of it as fancy. It was what people who couldn't afford pasta made as a hearty base for simple meals. While most polenta today is made from corn meal, it was originally made from a variety of grains. In ancient times it was made from wild grains and later from primative wheat, faro, millett, spelt or chickpeas.
In ancient times, the grain was mixed with water to form a paste that was then cooked on a hot stone. In this way, early polenta may have pre-dated leavened bread, since yeasts were often hard to come by and milling techniques were not yet refined. Today, we use the stove and oven to get a versitile cake that can be the basis of everything from a savory main dish to a sweet breakfast food.
Polenta is filling, but its calorie content is even less than pasta. An average serving of pasta contains about 100 calories. Polenta tips the scales a little lighter at about 80. (If you make a real dense polenta with little water, the amount of calories could be as high as 130 calories, but you'll probably eat less because it is very filling.
You can buy prepared polenta at most supermarkets but it's very expensive...I guess that's because it's a trendy food right now. If you have a little time, you can make several servings of polenta for less than half a buck. It takes about 30-4o minutes of cooking on the stovetop (stirring every 10 minutes or so) and a bit more in the oven, but this isn't fast food, it's budget food.
Take the time to make this basic food and you can enjoy several meals based on this simple recipe.
But, I've never thought of it as fancy. It was what people who couldn't afford pasta made as a hearty base for simple meals. While most polenta today is made from corn meal, it was originally made from a variety of grains. In ancient times it was made from wild grains and later from primative wheat, faro, millett, spelt or chickpeas.
In ancient times, the grain was mixed with water to form a paste that was then cooked on a hot stone. In this way, early polenta may have pre-dated leavened bread, since yeasts were often hard to come by and milling techniques were not yet refined. Today, we use the stove and oven to get a versitile cake that can be the basis of everything from a savory main dish to a sweet breakfast food.
Polenta is filling, but its calorie content is even less than pasta. An average serving of pasta contains about 100 calories. Polenta tips the scales a little lighter at about 80. (If you make a real dense polenta with little water, the amount of calories could be as high as 130 calories, but you'll probably eat less because it is very filling.
You can buy prepared polenta at most supermarkets but it's very expensive...I guess that's because it's a trendy food right now. If you have a little time, you can make several servings of polenta for less than half a buck. It takes about 30-4o minutes of cooking on the stovetop (stirring every 10 minutes or so) and a bit more in the oven, but this isn't fast food, it's budget food.
Take the time to make this basic food and you can enjoy several meals based on this simple recipe.
Basic Polenta
4 cups of water, divided
1 cup coarsely ground yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, bring 3 cups of water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, salt, and 1 cup of water. Pour the cornmeal mixture into the boiling water. Stir constantly with a whisk until it comes back to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to very low and let it cook, stirring every 10 minutes or so, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the polenta is thick and creamy.
- If the polenta becomes too thick add more water. Remove the polenta from the heat.
Pour the mixture into a greased pan and put it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.
Enjoy it warm from the oven or put it in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
