Soft Creamy Polenta with Butter
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen and Serious Eats.
Coarse polenta cooked low and covered with a pinch of bicarbonate, so it turns silky with only occasional whisking, then finished with butter.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Bring water to the boil. Pour the 1100 ml water into the heavy saucepan and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat. Starting with fully boiling water helps the cornmeal swell evenly from the first minute.
- 2
Whisk in the polenta. Rain the polenta into the pan in a thin stream, whisking constantly, then add the salt and the pinch of bicarbonate. Keep stirring until it returns to the boil; the alkali softens the tough outer skin of each grain so it cooks faster and creamier.
- 3
Cover and steam. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting, cover and leave it for 5 min. Then whisk hard, scraping the corners where thick polenta likes to hide, and put the lid back on.
- 4
Cook low and slow. Let it cook another 25 min, whisking every 8-10 min. It is ready when the grains are tender with just a slight bite and the polenta falls from the whisk in a loose ribbon. A splash of hot water brings it back if it stiffens, because cornmeal keeps absorbing liquid as it sits.
- 5
Finish with butter. Off the heat, whisk in the 30 g butter and the pepper, then taste for salt. Spoon into warm bowls straight away and top each with a pat of butter, since polenta firms quickly as it cools.
Storage
Refrigerate in a covered container up to 4 days. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water or milk, whisking, until piping hot, or slice the firm polenta and fry or grill it. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- medium heavy saucepan with lid
- balloon whisk
- heatproof spatula
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 202 kcal |
| Protein | 2.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 29.9 g |
| of which sugars | 0.6 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 7.8 g |
| of which saturates | 4.6 g |
| Fibre | 1.5 g |
| Salt | 1.54 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.4 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
