Easy Traditional Cooked Polenta (cornmeal mush)
 Recipe){kind=link}
Nutritional Info
- Servings Per Recipe: 6
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 90.6
- Total Fat: 2.6 g
- Cholesterol: 5.2 mg
- Sodium: 398.1 mg
- Total Carbs: 15.6 g
- Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 1.7 g
View full nutritional breakdown of Easy Traditional Cooked Polenta (cornmeal mush) calories by ingredient
Introduction
Can be eaten as is, or baked to make a nice base for serving stews or chili. Can be eaten as is, or baked to make a nice base for serving stews or chili.Number of Servings: 6
Ingredients
-
1 cup coarse-ground cornmeal or polenta
3.5 to 4 cups water
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp unsalted butter (optional)
Tips
*I use the electric kettle to bring water to a boil before adding it to warm saucepan--saves time and cuts down on heat in the kitchen.
*To "fry", put cooled polenta in a loaf pan and refrigerate (overnight is good). Slice and fry in the morning, serve with fruit preserves or maple syrup. Really good!
*Also good for baking: spread into a prepared 2qt baking dish and bake at 350 for...well, until it looks about right. Still baking right now, not keeping track of time. Sorry!
*You can also spread thin on a baking sheet to cool, sprinkle with cheese, and broil.
Directions
Over medium heat in a medium sauce pan or saucier (sloped sides, very useful), add 1 tsp kosher salt to boiling water. *SLOWLY* whisk in cornmeal in a steady stream. Keep whisking a little bit after all is added. When it's bubbling, turn heat down to low, put the lid on, and set a timer for 10 minutes.
When timer goes off, reset for another 10 minutes (and start it), then remove lid from polenta and stir vigorously for about 1 minute (watch the timer--when it gets to 9, you've stirred for 1 minute). Put the lid on and let it go for the other 9 minutes. Repeat when the timer goes off again. How long it takes to cook depends on how coarse your cornmeal is, really. Test after second stir. As long as the cornmeal isn't hard, cook to the consistency you like.
Serving Size: 6
When timer goes off, reset for another 10 minutes (and start it), then remove lid from polenta and stir vigorously for about 1 minute (watch the timer--when it gets to 9, you've stirred for 1 minute). Put the lid on and let it go for the other 9 minutes. Repeat when the timer goes off again. How long it takes to cook depends on how coarse your cornmeal is, really. Test after second stir. As long as the cornmeal isn't hard, cook to the consistency you like.
Serving Size: 6