Soft & Fried Polenta

By lorik

Tip: Don't use white cornmeal. Its flavor is milder and than yellow cornmeal. In Italy, it is used mostly for sweet preparations. And don't skip the whisk for stirring the polenta as it cooks; its wires are more effective than a wooden spoon for breaking up lumps.

Ingredients

• Soft:
• 2 cups coarse stoneground yellow cornmeal (see note)
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• Fried:
• 8 -inch square firm, chilled soft polenta (see note in Soft Polenta)
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 20mins
Adapted from

Preparation

Step 1

Soft:
Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the lower-middle position. In a large Dutch oven, whisk together the cornmeal, 1 tablespoon salt and 11 cups water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high, stirring frequently to prevent clumping. Transfer the pot, uncovered, to the oven and bake for 1 hour.

Remove the pot from the oven. Carefully whisk until smooth and use a wooden spoon to scrape along the bottom and into corners of the pot. Return, uncovered, to the oven and cook until the cornmeal is thick and creamy and the granules are tender, another 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the cornmeal used.

Remove the pot from the oven. Vigorously whisk the polenta until smooth and use the wooden spoon to scrape the bottom, sides and corners of the pot. Let stand for 5 minutes. The polenta should thicken just enough for a spoon to leave a brief trail when dragged through; whisk in additional water if needed to adjust the consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Fried:
Remove the polenta from the baking dish by inverting it onto a cutting board. Cut into 9 squares. In a shallow dish, whisk the flour and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper, then use to lightly coat all sides of each square, shaking off excess.

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat 3 tablespoons of oil until barely smoking. Add 4 or 5 of the squares and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Carefully flip each square and cook until lightly browned on the second sides, another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a large plate and wipe out the skillet. Repeat with the remaining oil and polenta.

Tip: Don't use polenta that has not been chilled until very firm. It's best to give the polenta at least a full day in the refrigerator before cutting and frying.