4 Ways to Cook Polenta

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-19 22:11

Polenta is white or yellow corn that is dried and ground into a ready-to-cook or eaten meal. Polenta is a typical Italian dish. But because it tastes good and can be added to a variety of recipes, polenta has become one of the most popular foods in the world in recent years. Learn how to make plain-cooked Polenta, then experiment with three variations: fried polenta, grilled polenta, and cheese polenta.

Ingredients

Regular Cooked Polenta

• 1 cup dry polenta
• 3 glasses of water
• 1/2 tsp salt

Fried Polenta

• 2 cups plain cooked polenta (see first recipe)
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

Cheese Polenta

• 2 cups of regular cooked polenta
• 1 cup grated cheese (cheddar, parmesan or other cheese of your choice)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper

Step

Method 1 of 4: Regular Cooked Polenta

Step 1. Prepare the ingredients

Here are the ingredients you'll need for regular cooked polenta:

• 1 cup dry polenta
• 3 glasses of water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Step 2. Put water in the pot

Bring the water to a boil and add salt to the pot.

Step 3. Reduce the heat of the stove to medium to low

Step 4. Place a third of the polenta in the pot

Use a wooden spoon to stir the polenta in the water. The polenta and water will form a dough after two minutes of stirring.

Step 5. Put the remaining polenta in the pan

Keep stirring the contents of the pot with a wooden spoon for 10 minutes.

Step 6. Your polenta is cooked when it becomes creamy

• Don't overcook it, as that will make the polenta too mushy.

  

• Taste the polenta. When you feel the texture is just right, remove from the stove.

  

• Serve the polenta with vegetables, chilies, meat, fish, or whatever extras you want.

  

Method 2 of 4: Fried Polenta

Step 1. Prepare the ingredients

Here are the materials you will need:

• 2 cups of regular cooked polenta
• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

Step 2. Make a regular cooked polenta recipe

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and add salt, reduce heat, add a third of polenta to form a dough, then add and stir in remaining polenta and cook until creamy.

Step 3. Spread the polenta on a greased baking sheet

The size of the pan will determine how thin or thick your fried polenta will be. For thin results, use a wide pan, while for thicker results, use a smaller pan.

• Use a spatula to spread the polenta evenly across the pan.

  

• Cover the pan with aluminum foil.

  

Step 4. Place the pan in the refrigerator

Let it cool until the polenta becomes firm. Check after two hours to see if the polenta is firm. If it's still warm and mushy, refrigerate for another half hour.

Step 5. Cut the polenta into small pieces

Cut to the size you like.

• The pieces can also be shaped as desired, ranging from squares, squares, or triangles.

  

Step 6. Prepare the Teflon on the stove over medium to high heat

Put the oil in a teflon and heat the oil.

Step 7. Put the polenta pieces in the Teflon

Cook until one side turns brown (about three minutes). Then flip over and cook the other side until brown too.

• Before putting the polenta in the Teflon, make sure the oil is hot enough. Otherwise, the polenta will crumble before it's cooked.

  

• If you want to cook it on the grill, just place it on the grill mat.

  

Step 8. Drain the cooked polenta

Sprinkle the cooked polenta with the parmesan cheese, and season with salt and pepper.

Method 3 of 4: Roasted Polenta

Step 1. Prepare the ingredients

Here are the materials you will need:

• 2 cups of regular cooked polenta
• Olive oil
• 1/2 cup butter
• Salt and pepper

Step 2. Make a regular cooked polenta recipe

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and add salt, reduce heat, add a third of polenta to form a dough, then add and stir in remaining polenta and cook until creamy. While you are cooking, preheat the oven to 177 degrees Celsius.

Step 3. Add butter and mix well

Stir the butter and polenta with a wooden spoon until the butter is melted and well combined. Also add the thyme leaves and seasonings such as salt and pepper.

Step 4. Put the polenta in a greased baking dish

The size of the pan will determine the thickness of your polenta. If you want a thin finish, use a wide pan, if you want a thicker result, use a smaller pan.

Step 5. Put the pan in the oven

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the polenta is cooked through. Polenta cooked in the oven will not change color at all.

Step 6. Remove the pan from the oven

Refrigerate for a few minutes, then chop the polenta to serve.

• Use a cookie cutter if you want to present it in an attractive shape.

  

• Serve with marinara sauce for a distinctly Italian flavour.

  

Method 4 of 4: Cheese Polenta

Step 1. Prepare the ingredients

Here are the materials you will need:

• 2 cups of regular cooked polenta
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper

Step 2. Make a regular cooked polenta recipe

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and add salt, reduce heat, add a third of polenta to form a dough, then add and stir in remaining polenta and cook until creamy.

Step 3. Add butter and cheese and mix

Use a wooden spoon to stir the butter and cheese until they are melted and smooth.

Step 4. Add the milk, parsley and other seasonings and stir

Step 5. Serve while hot