POLENTA-OVEN BAKED

By BobD

Ingredients

• The brand I use most often is a wonderful product called Golden Pheasant polenta, easy to find and reasonably priced. My basic recipes for baked and microwave polenta are adapted from those on the bac
• Easy Oven-Baked Polenta
• I use a less labor-intensive method. I combine the cornmeal and the liquid, put it in the oven and forget about it for 50 minutes. Then I stir in one tablespoon of butter and return it to the oven for
• 1 cup polenta
• 1 quart water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the polenta, water and salt in a 2-quart baking dish. Stir together, and place in the oven.

Bake 50 minutes. Remove from the oven, and stir in the butter. Use a fork or a spatula to stir the polenta well, and return to the oven for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven, and stir again. Carefully taste a little bit of the polenta; if the grains are not completely soft, return to the oven for 10 minutes.

Serve right away for soft polenta, or let sit five minutes for a stiffer polenta. Spoon onto a plate. Make a depression in the middle, and serve with the topping of your choice or plain, as a side dish.

Alternatively, for grilling or use in another recipe, allow to chill and stiffen in the baking dish, or scrape into a lightly oiled or buttered bread pan and chill.

Variation: Polenta With Parmesan

When you remove the polenta from the oven, stir in 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan. Serve at once. I like to grind a little black pepper over the top.

Microwave Polenta

If you want polenta in a hurry, you can prepare it in the microwave. Just be sure to use a large bowl and be very careful when handling it. Allow the steam escape before you stir, as the mixture will be extremely hot.
3/4 cup polenta
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. Combine the polenta, salt and water in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart microwave-safe bowl, and stir together. Cover the bowl with a plate, and place in the microwave. Microwave on high for eight minutes. Remove from the microwave carefully, wearing oven mitts, as the bowl will be quite hot. Carefully remove the plate from the top, and allow the steam to escape. Stir in the butter, and mix well with a fork. Cover the bowl again with the plate and return to the microwave. Microwave on high for three minutes. Again, remove from the microwave carefully, wearing oven mitts. Carefully remove the plate from the top, and allow the steam to escape. Stir the polenta, and return to the microwave for three more minutes. Carefully remove from the microwave. Stir and serve, or pour into a lightly buttered bread pan and allow to cool, then slice and grill or sear in a lightly oiled pan.
Yield: Serves four.

Advance preparation: If you are serving polenta hot with a topping, it’s best to serve it when it comes out of the oven, allowing it to sit for five minutes at most.