Recipes: Make polenta, then fry it, use it in soup, or serve with sauce - The Boston Globe
Polenta recipes too often call for tons of cheese, butter — and stirring! But in a hilltop town in northern Italy, we learned that the easiest and lightest polenta requires little more than simmering salted water and whisking vigorously for just 10 minutes before leaving it for about an hour. The method lets the sweet corn flavor shine through, and yields the perfect texture to later turn into fried polenta, so be sure to prepare extra. A spicy tomato sauce laced with savory anchovies makes an ideal boldly-flavored topping for the mild polenta. Or turn to polentina, a simple soup that we enrich with pancetta, leeks, rosemary, and briny-sweet Peppadew peppers.
Basic Polenta
Makes 6 servings
For the best flavor and texture, use coarse, stone-ground cornmeal; fine cornmeal produces pasty, gluey polenta, while steel-ground cornmeal has less flavor. We like Bob's Red Mill coarse-grind cornmeal and its polenta corn grits, but found that different brands can cook up with slightly different consistencies. The finished polenta should be pourable; if it's too thick, thin it with water as needed.
Avoid white cornmeal here — its flavor is milder than yellow cornmeal. (In Italy, it is used mostly for sweet preparations.) And be sure to use a whisk for stirring the polenta as it cooks; whisk wires are more effective than a wooden spoon for breaking up lumps.
With the spotlight on the sweet, earthy flavor of corn, this polenta is also a perfect side for braises.
2 cups coarse stone-ground yellow cornmeal (see headnote)
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Heat the oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the lower-middle position. In a large Dutch oven, whisk together the cornmeal, 1 tablespoon salt, and 11 cups water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to prevent clumping. Transfer the pot, uncovered, to the oven and bake for 1 hour.
Remove the pot from the oven. Carefully whisk until smooth, then use a wooden spoon to scrape along the bottom and into the corners of the pot to loosen any stuck bits. Return the pot, uncovered, to the oven and cook until the cornmeal is thick and creamy and the granules are tender, another 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the brand used.
Remove the pot from the oven. Vigorously whisk the polenta until smooth, then use the wooden spoon to scrape the bottom, sides, and corners. Let stand for 5 minutes. The polenta should thicken just enough for a spoon to leave a brief trail when dragged through; whisk in additional water, if needed, to adjust the consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, or as a base for one of the recipes below.
Fried Polenta
Makes 4 servings
If you plan to serve soft polenta one night and fry the extra in the next few days, scale up the Basic Polenta recipe so you have enough for both occasions. Increase the cornmeal to 2½ cups, the water to 13¾ cups, and the salt to 5 teaspoons. While the polenta cooks, coat an 8-inch-square baking dish with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. When the polenta has finished cooking, ladle 4 cups into the prepared baking dish and smooth it into an even layer. Cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, or up to two days.
Fried polenta is a great accompaniment to stews, or it can be topped with cheese or sauce and served as an appetizer or light main course. In Italy, it's often served with chunks of Gorgonzola and a drizzle of honey.
Be sure the polenta has been chilled until very firm. It's best to give it at least a full day in the refrigerator before cutting and frying.
1 8-inch square of firm, chilled Basic Polenta (see headnote)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
Remove the polenta from the baking dish by inverting it onto a cutting board, then cut it into 9 squares. In a shallow dish, whisk the flour and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper, then lightly coat all sides of each square, shaking off any excess.
In a 12-inch nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat, warm 3 tablespoons of the oil until barely smoking. Add 4 or 5 of the coated polenta squares and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Carefully flip each square and cook until lightly browned on the other side, another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the squares to a large plate, then wipe out the skillet. Repeat with the remaining oil and polenta squares.
Spicy Tomato Sauce With Garlic and Anchovies (Bagna d'Infern)
Makes 2 cups of sauce
The name of this sauce translates to hell's bath, or the devil's own sauce, thanks to the spicy pepper. The garlicky condiment makes the perfect counterpunch to our smooth and mellow polenta but is also delicious tossed with pasta. No need to chop the anchovies; they disintegrate as they cook.
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
5 anchovy fillets
5 medium garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 pints grape tomatoes, 1 pint halved
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
¼ cup lightly packed, chopped fresh basil
Basic Polenta (see recipe)
In a nonstick 12-inch skillet set over medium heat, combine 2 tablespoons of the oil, the anchovies, and garlic. Cook, stirring and breaking up the anchovies, until the garlic is light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the pepper flakes and tomatoes, then cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the whole tomatoes have burst, 5 to 7 minutes.
Use a fork to gently mash the sauce. Off heat, stir in the vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then stir in the basil. Serve on top of warmed Basic Polenta.
Polenta Soup With Crispy Pancetta and Kale
Makes 4 servings
This is our take on polentina, a traditional Italian peasant soup that's not much more than brothy polenta. We add pancetta, leeks, and rosemary to give the dish complexity and round out the flavor of the corn. Topped with broth-blanched kale and laced with sweet-tart pickled peppers, this soup is a light but satisfying meal in a bowl.
The soup should not come to a boil after the cornmeal is added; slow simmering ensures the consistency doesn't become too thick or gluey.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
4 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary, divided
2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 bunch lacinato kale, stemmed, leaves torn into 1-inch pieces
½ cup coarse, stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup drained Peppadew sweet picanté peppers, chopped
Finely grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
To a large pot set over medium heat, add the oil and pancetta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 6 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate.
To the pot, add the leeks and 3 teaspoons of rosemary, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are golden brown and tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the broth, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper, then stir to scrape up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then stir in the kale and cook until tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the kale to a medium bowl (it's fine if some of the leeks come with the kale); set aside.
Return the broth to a simmer over medium-high heat, then gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce to medium-low and cook uncovered until the polenta is tender, about 20 minutes, stirring frequently and adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a slow simmer. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Stir the peppers and remaining 1 teaspoon rosemary into the kale. Ladle the soup into serving bowls, then top with the kale. Crumble the pancetta over the top, drizzle with additional oil, and sprinkle with Parmesan.
Christopher Kimball is the founder of Milk Street, home to a magazine, school, and radio and television shows. Globe readers get 12 weeks of complete digital access, plus two issues of Milk Street print magazine, for just $1. Go to 177milkstreet.com/globe. Send comments to magazine@globe.com.
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