For everyone looking to escape this week’s fun, this creamy bowl is for you. On chilly weekends, I crave something warm and hearty that my mother used to make on cold nights. I want Palak Paneer, I want sambar, I want rajma. Unfortunately for me, after rummaging through the pantry and refrigerator, I didn’t have the ingredients needed to make this dream come true. After brooding for 30 minutes about my bad plan, I knew I had to get creative in the kitchen and work with what I had. One thing I had? A bright red bag sits in the back of my pantry.
Although I have used polenta many times before, I rarely make my own. I always thought it would take too long or that I wouldn’t be able to get the texture I wanted. (There’s a reason polenta bags get pushed to the back of the pantry!) After texting with one of my best friends Kristin, my polenta consultant, I jotted down some notes that she and her mother used to make. Get the perfect bowl of polenta and start cooking during the long cold weekend. After all, nothing is better a warm bowl for dinner on a cold winter’s night.
First thing first, what is polenta?
My first question standing in the grocery aisle is: can I trade cornmeal for polenta? Are they the same thing? After all, the grocery store has a bag of cornmeal next to a bag labeled polenta, so I see why it’s confusing. A little bit dig deep into the internet helped clear up some confusion. Polenta is a dish made with cornmeal, and if a package is labeled polenta, that just means ground corn can make polenta. But yes, you can substitute with medium or coarsely ground cornmeal.
Okay, now how do I get a real creamy color?
In my research, I read that if you want a creamy and smooth color, you need finely ground cornmeal. But don’t be too smooth, or your paint color may become mushy and gluey. So, during my testing, I came across a handy kitchen tool somewhere. Food handlers! I grind about 3/4 of my cornstarch in a food processor, and then make sure to sift out any lumps that might be in there. This gives the cornmeal a smoother texture and cooks a lot faster. Personally, I like the grit and texture of the cornmeal, so I didn’t want to get rid of that completely, and this combined approach helped to achieve the best of both worlds while also bringing out the best in the world. how creamy you can create.
I also took this version a step further by adding caramelized garlic to finish it off. You roast the garlic with the rest of the vegetables so that the garlic becomes sweet, soft, and delicious. Then, when you take the veggies out of the oven, simply squeeze the garlic out of its rind, mash, and stir into the finished purple mixture. It is absolutely divine.
Some other polenta cooking tips I’ve learned along the way:
- Bake your polenta bread! It’s an extra step that if you want to skip you can, but I like the nutty and delicious taste, this step adds in the cornmeal.
- Whip continuously while mixing the liquid. I used vegetable juice for my polenta, and while pouring that mixture into my baked polenta, I kept whipping cream while doing so. This helps to minimize clumping. DO NOT add all liquid at once.
- Salt is your best friend. Like pasta, salt generously. Also using parmesan is really good. It’s worth it.
- Fat is also your best friend. My friend Kristin told me to “use more butter than you think you can”. I’ll carve that advice into my core. I used about 1/4 cup of mascarpone instead of butter, and it adds to that wonderful flavor and richness. A box of crackers or sour cream would be a great addition.
Although this recipe may look a bit fancy for a weekday dinner, I’ve aligned everything on a timeline so it all ends at once — which means you can have dinner on the table in a flash. Prepare the vegetables and put them in the oven to bake while preparing the magenta. Since polenta is more hands-on with stirring, I wanted the top layer to be entirely by hand. By the time the polenta is done on the stove, the vegetables are done roasting and you can put everything together at once. It’s all about allocating effort in the best way!
I’d love to hear your favorite flavor combinations to top your bowl of polenta ice cream. Some combinations I’m thinking of:
- Roasted tomatoes with a large piece of bread and some burrata
- Shittake mushrooms and parmesan, perhaps with an egg on top?
- Stir-fried kale and lentils with lemon
- Grilled pumpkin with a little chili oil
