Posted by Virginia French

The other morning when I went to make coffee I found my husband’s dirty socks on top of a speeding ticket on my kitchen counter.  It was such a weird way to start the day!  But a better way to end the day? Parmesan polenta for dinner!   It’s a big comfort food in our house and it pairs perfectly with almost any type of meat.   Another added bonus is how incredibly easy it is to make.  All you need is cornmeal, chicken stock, parmesan, butter, salt and pepper.

Last Christmas my husband and I made each other food gift baskets filled with treats from Zingermans.  One of the items my husband gave me this wonderful polenta from the Piedmont region.  This polenta has a slightly sweeter flavor than the standard polenta you get form the grocery store.  I absolutely love the texture of this polenta.  It’s a wonderful feeling after a long day to taste this sweet, velvety and grainy polenta.

Parmesan Polenta (4-6 people)

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup ground cornmeal

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup grated parmesan reggiano

salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot bring chicken stock to a boil.

2. Slowly add the polenta to the stock, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until polenta thickens (about 20 minutes)

3. Turn off heat and add parmesan, butter, and salt and pepper.

Note: the cooking time varies depending on the variety of polenta you use.  I have found if I use the regular store bought cornmeal it only takes about 8-10 minutes to cook to the right consistency, but with the polenta from the photo above it takes about 20 minutes.

I usually double this recipe and pour half of it in a baking dish to cool and pan fry for later.

For frying:

After the polenta is cooled and set, cut into large slices.  Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and place polenta pieces in the pain.  Fry on each side for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Be careful!  Because of the moisture in the polenta it can sometimes splatter when cooking.