LEW ROBERTSON (POLENTA); GETTY IMAGES/DORLING KINDERSLEY (WHISKING POLENTA); GETTY IMAGES/STOCKFOOD (GARLIC)
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perfect base for so many other
things and — most importantly
— is a great food to take your
time with.
It is totally possible to make
quick polenta. You can absolutely do it in a pinch. But it is
not possible to make great polenta quickly, and great polenta
is what we’re going to talk about
today. The amazing thing about
slow, creamy polenta, is that you
do most of the work in the first
hour, and then you just let it
magically get better on its own,
while you cook whatever you’re
going to spoon over the top of
it. The best polenta we’ve ever
made has benefitted from staying warm and cozy over barely
simmering water, for at least an
hour after it “looks ready.”
The legend about polenta
is that you have to perfectly
sh ower it into simmering water,
grain by grain, while you and
three of your closest friends
whisk vigorously to make sure
there are no lumps. Take a big,
slow breath, because that is just
not the case. Because we are
always willing to experiment in
the kitchen, we tend to make a
lot of mistakes, which we then
learn from. So trust us on this
one: polenta is way harder to
screw up than it seems, because
we’ve never done it.
EAT
THIS
HUFFINGTON
05.12.13
Here’s how
you’ll make
the best
polenta you’ve
ever made:
INGREDIENTS
■ 1
■
■
■
■
cup polenta (coarsely
ground is best)
cups water
5
1 or 2 cloves of garlic,
minced salt to taste
b utter (salted, unsalted,
whatever — just taste
to make sure you’re not
over-salting)
c reme fraiche or sour
cream (optional)
1. B
ring your water to a boil in a large, thick-bottomed saucepan.
Once it boils, add in your garlic (we like to add it right away, so
it gets really soft and perfumes the whole batch, gently), and
knock the heat way down to a simmer. Whisk your polenta in
slowly, and continue stirring until the pot starts to bubble a bit
again. The polenta will start to thicken, just a bit.