Polenta

Polenta (Soft, Northern Italian Style)

A creamy, slow-stirred cornmeal porridge from northern Italy, traditionally served soft beneath a rich stew or braise, or cooled, sliced, and grilled. The discipline is patience: low heat and near-constant stirring is what makes polenta silky rather than gritty.

Prep

5 min

Cook

45 min

Total

50 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •250 g (9 oz (about 1¾ cups)) coarse polenta (bramata) or stone-ground yellow cornmeal, traditionally bramata; use coarse, not fine, for the right texture
• •1.5 L (6¼ cups) water, plus 250 ml / 1 cup extra, in case more is needed
• •15 g (1 tbsp) fine sea salt
• •40 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter, traditionally unsalted cow's butter; finish with more to taste
• •40 g (½ cup finely grated) Parmigiano-Reggiano, grate it yourself; pre-grated cheese does not melt as smoothly

Steps

1. 1 Pour the 1.5 L water into a heavy-bottomed pot (traditionally a copper paiolo), season with the salt, and bring to a steady boil over medium heat.
2. 2 When the water is boiling, reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Pour the polenta in a thin, steady stream with one hand while whisking constantly with the other, so no clumps form.
3. 3 Switch to a long wooden spoon or polenta stirrer (a traditional 'mestolino' or stick). Keep the heat on low and stir continuously, scraping the bottom and corners, for 35–40 minutes. If the polenta thickens faster than the grains soften, splash in a little of the reserved hot water; the final texture should be thick but still slowly spreadable, like loose oatmeal.
4. 4 Doneness cue: the polenta is ready when it pulls away cleanly from the sides of the pot as you stir, tastes tender with no chalky bite, and a spoon leaves a brief trail that slowly closes. Stir in the butter and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano off the heat until glossy and fully melted.
5. 5 Taste and adjust salt. For soft polenta, serve immediately in warmed bowls, traditionally topped with a stew such as brasato, ossobuco, or ragù. For grilled polenta, pour the finished polenta into a lightly oiled tray or loaf pan, smooth to about 1.5 cm / ½ inch thick, let it set and cool completely, then cut into pieces and grill or pan-fry in a little butter until crisp and golden on both sides.