← Nouns Cooking · Italian

Ingredients

• 1.25 l Water
• 1 tsp Salt
• 250 g coarse or medium polenta (not instant)
• 40 g Butter
• 50 g Parmesan, finely grated
• Black pepper

Method

1. Bring the water and salt to the boil in a large, heavy saucepan.
2. Lower the heat to medium and pour in the polenta in a thin, steady stream, whisking all the time so no lumps form.
3. Turn the heat to low and switch to a wooden spoon. Cook for 35–40 min, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom, until the grains are soft and the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pan. Add a splash of hot water if it gets too thick.
4. Take it off the heat and beat in the butter and parmesan. Season with pepper and serve straight away while soft and spoonable.

Tips

• Instant polenta cooks in about 5 min; follow the packet and finish with butter and cheese the same way.
• Spread leftovers in a tray, chill until firm, then slice and grill or fry until crisp.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food GialloZafferano Pasta Grammar