Creamy Polenta

It’s that time of year again. Now that school is back, there will be more of a set schedule for you and the kiddos. That’s another way of saying you’ll have less time to get all the things done that you set out to do on any given day. Creamy polenta is one of my favorite recipes. Why? Because it’s versatile. You can either alter the recipe in the procedure or after it’s completed for leftovers that are totally different. You can even go to CelinaTio.com/video.html and watch the how-to video.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup corn meal (I use Roland brand)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 4 cups water, house made or unsalted vegetable or chicken stock (depending on with what you want to serve it)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt (I use Mortons)

Instructions

  1.  Combine all ingredients into a sauce pan and place over high heat. Using a whisk, stir constantly until it thickens then switch to a heat resistant rubber spatula and reduce heat to low. Continue to cook until the raw flavor goes away - about 20 minutes.
  2. Serve directly from the pot with almost anything. Any remaining, pour into a lightly sprayed (with spray canola oil) loaf pan or small container and refrigerate.
  3. When it's cooled completely, cut into desired shape—rounds, squares, or like fries. You can dust them with flour or corn meal (to keep it gluten-free) and either sauté in a pan over medium-high heat or deep fry. You can fold in goat cheese or blue cheese to add another layer of flavor.