Polenta
Not quite as good as the slow simmered, stirred constantly, version of polenta but a great hack for a weeknight dinner! We love soft polenta - you can have it "as is", enrich it with lots of cheese and/or butter, pour a sauce over it (burst cherry tomatoes or sautéed mushrooms?) or swirl in pesto or hot sauce...lots of options. You can, absolutely, turn this into solid polenta that you fry or grill, but not quickly. Overnight in the fridge will render your polenta solid enough to slice and fry or cut into fries and bake.
- 473 milliliters water or stock (2c)
- 75 grams polenta - medium to coarse cornmeal (1/2c)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 grams unsalted butter (optional)
- olive oil, blue cheese, parmigiano reggiano (optional, to taste)
Mix the water/stock, salt and cornmeal in a microwave safe bowl that is larger than you need (it climbs up the sides). Microwave on high for 5 minutes, take it out, stir and microwave for another 3 minutes. Stir in butter, olive oil, cheese or whatever else you might like. Serve hot.
Anything you don't eat can be heated up with a little extra water/stock in the microwave and beaten a bit by hand to get back to its creamy state or, better yet, sliced it and fry, grill or bake it with a little olive oil.
