Sage Polenta

By susanwadle

Polenta is a luxurious, creamy Italian version of grits. If your grocery store has real Italian polenta, go for it! It's worth it. If not, cornmeal works too.

Ingredients

• 1 quart water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup polenta integrale or coarse yellow corn meal
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 fresh sage leaves
• 1/4 cup grated Grana Padano cheese (Parmegiano would work well also)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Step 1

Bring water to boil and add the salt. Slowly whisk in the polenta, raining in only a little at a time, and stir constantly over medium heat until polenta has absorbed the liquid. Reduce heat to a low simmer cook, stirring often, for about 45 minutes, or until the polenta is thick and creamy.

In a separate small saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat until it just starts to brown and smells nutty (about four minutes). Add the sage leaves to the butter to infuse the butter with flavor. Fry the sage for about a minute, turn off the heat, strain the butter into a bowl and set the sage leaves on a paper towel to dry.

Stir the sage butter and grated cheese into the polenta, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with the fried sage leaves.