Polenta is a versatile Italian staple made by boiling yellow or white cornmeal. This version cooks like a creamy cornmeal-and-grits style dish with a porridge-like texture and real corn flavor.
1Use about 4 cups of water, broth, or milk for 1 cup of polenta or stone-ground cornmeal. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then whisk the cornmeal in slowly so the grains disperse before they thicken.
Cook over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring regularly, until the polenta is tender, creamy, and no longer gritty. Add small splashes of hot liquid if it tightens before the grain softens.
2Serve it immediately for soft, creamy polenta with butter, cheese, herbs, braised greens, mushrooms, tomato sauce, or roasted vegetables.
For leftovers, loosen the polenta with a splash of water, broth, or milk and reheat it gently, or spoon thicker portions into a hot skillet for a heartier corn side.
Stone-Ground Cornmeal Guide
They are related corn dishes. This polenta is best treated as a creamy boiled cornmeal-and-grits style dish, while grits are usually framed around Southern bowl-style cooking.
Yes. Yellow or white stone-ground cornmeal can make excellent polenta. Coarser grinds usually need more time and a little more liquid.