Creamy Polenta

What is it about polenta that I have so much trouble with? I'm a big pudding, oatmeal, farina, cream of wheat, cream of rice, gruel and porridge lover so it doesn't make sense to me that I have so much trouble eating polenta, but I do, and I'm not the only one. I very rarely make it at home because Tom and I are not crazy about it and yet, when I'm dining out, if it is served with my meal I usually eat it and enjoy it. In trying to understand what my aversion to it might be, I found this article, which basically says the difference between polenta and cornmeal is all in the grind. This makes sense, I do have a bit of trouble with the texture of polenta, I find it is often lumpy, which I don't like. I find it to be gritty, which you would think wouldn't bother me since I've been known to lick concrete after it rains because I thought it smelled good. ACK! Only a few times, and only when I was a kid, I swear! So why, if I don't really enjoy it, do I keep trying to like this stuff? I hate to say it, but I don't really know.

Sunday afternoon Tom and I watched an episode of Lidia's Italian American Kitchen on PBS. She was tempting us with a mouthwatering dish of braised short ribs that looked so good we were drooling. The final dish was served on a bed of polenta and both Tom and I agreed that it was a meal we would both enjoy with reckless abandon and without any regard for table manners even with the polenta. The polenta was prepared by her guest on the show, her son Joe. Joe gave out a tip for cooking polenta that I had never heard before, apparently, the key to lump-free polenta is to start with cold water and constant stirring. Oh yeah?

I decided to see if Joe was right.

To be fair, I didn't follow a Lidia or Son of Lidia recipe for polenta at all, just the method of starting with cold water and cold ingredients. I ended up surfing the internet for a while, looking up ways to make a polenta that would turn out creamy AND appeal to me. What I found were MANY variations, so, borrowing a little from each recipe, I came up with my own creation. It isn't the quickest method for making polenta around, but that didn't bother me. I was extremely happy with the results, but I'll be the first to admit, it isn’t diet food the way I prepared it either. While it was still piping hot, before it had hardened in that way polenta is known to do, I considered eating it right out of the pot, it was so creamy and good. I used white cornmeal, for no other reason except that was what I had in the house and also because I wanted the less grittier texture. For dinner, I served it under thinly pounded pork loin cutlets that had been dipped in flour, pan fried to just brown and then oven braised in a red, yellow, green bell pepper-tomato sauce seasoned with capers, fresh oregano, fresh marjoram, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, onions, salt and pepper and white balsamic vinegar. It was all very very good.

If anyone has a favorite way of preparing or eating polenta I'd love to know, I think if I give it half a chance I could start liking it quite a bit.

Creamy Polenta

• 2 cups cold water
• 2 cups cold milk (I used whole milk)
• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups white or yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon cold European-style butter (I used lightly salted Plugra)
• 1/2 to 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, depending on taste
• salt and pepper to taste

In a pot, combine the cold water, milk, heavy cream, butter and cornmeal, bring to a boil over medium heat, constantly stirring with a whisk to prevent lumps. Once the polenta has begun to boil, lower the heat and cook, stirring constantly until it begins to thicken. Don't panic because it seems like the liquid to cornmeal ratio is too much, the cornmeal really does soak up all the liquid. When the polenta has begun to thicken and the liquid is almost absorbed, add the cheese, salt, and pepper to taste, adding more as needed and continuing to stir until all the liquid has been absorbed. Serve at once, or let harden a bit and slice, then serve, or slice, and fry, or do whatever you please, the only limit is your imagination.

Written by Deb on January 13, 2004 01:00 AM