Lately, I've been to some very good Italian restaurants and Polenta was on the menu. As a little girl in Italy, Polenta was one of my favorite Primo Piatto. The process is long but straight forward. One needs:
1 pound coarsely ground corn meal, preferably stone-ground.
2 quarts boiling water, keep some water boiling on the side.
A teaspoon of salt.
Boil water in a wide bottomed pot and add the salt. When it comes to a boil, slowly add the corn meal stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, always stir in the same direction, to keep lumps from forming. Keep stirring for abut 40 minutes.
Of course Polenta requires a tasty topping. a few examples: Marinara sauce, Meatballs, Sausages, Broccoletti and Sausages, Ricotta and all kinds of Cheeses and vegetables....on and on. This is a very creative dish with many ways to cook and top it.
Polenta is not only a savory dish but it can also be made as a dessert. If there are any leftovers it can be equally tasty, fried, grilled or just left plain with your choice of sweet or savory toppings. For savory: Just about anything but I especially like it with a light fresh tomato sauce and fried until crispy. And for sweet: Top it with honey, nuts, ricotta or fruits. Enjoy!!!
Back at the restaurant, I eagerly order my Polenta and find it not to be authentic. What a disappointment. its not my memory of it at all. My beautiful memories, of my family taking turns stirring the Polenta. While we stirred, We laughed, told jokes and drank wine as we patiently waited for the perfect meal.
These memories of Polenta are tempting me to start my own restaurant so that my friends will be able to enjoy what I enjoyed back when I was a child.
PS
do not stop stirring the polenta otherwise it will stick and burn
PPS
To serve, it's poured out onto a wooden board or on individual plates
5 comments:
Franca,
Phil's Aunt Mamie made really good polenta. I had no idea of what an arduous process this is. Forty minutes of stirring. I guess I can deal with this while sipping some good wine. Like all good Italian cooking, it's not just eating the finished dish, but the love and fun and company while preparing the food. Love this post!
You're writing a cookbook and I love Italian food!
i had the same reaction when i read your blog....happy childhood memories....however what passes for polenta today in restaurants is a sterilized small little square the size of a brillo pad...not the hot steaming mound of food over which one ladled chicken ciacciatore ...my grandmother would be rolling in her grave
OMG, I love polenta and make it regularly! I love it even better the second day when I slice and bake it and top it with sauted bell peppers,sauage and tomatoes....If I'm lucky to have an extra few slices left,I'll fry it crispy and drench it with maple syrup!
But my earliest recollection of having polenta is as a child sitting around the table with my Mother,brothers and Nonno Joe. A very large bread board was before use piled high with polenta and sauce and scored into portions, Grandpa Joe would challenge us kids with a fifty cent piece going to the one who ate the most....I never won! But I would now......
Great momories.....
Shirley, I only spoke to Nonno Joe once for a few minutes. Thank you for sharing this special story about him.
Jackie, my thoughts exactly. As I wrote this posting , I kept hearing my grandmother saying "Che Schifo."
Ann, I'm not writing a cookbook but will be listing more of my favorite recipes.
Jean, the arduous work is well worth the reward.
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