I made polenta for the first time last week and I am totally hooked! I don't know how I lived without it before. The first batch I made used white wine and water for the liquid and it was awesome, although I think I added too much white wine (2 cups + 6 cups of water). I think next time I'll try 1 cup of white wine and 7 cups of water. The next batch I made with chicken broth and water. The chicken broth flavor came through so beautifully that it reminded me strongly of Thanksgiving. I decided that chicken broth polenta will make an appearance this Thanksgiving for sure. Who cares that I'm not Italian?!
In the picture above, I cut the polenta into smaller cubes so that it would heat up faster in the microwave, because I like my food PIPING hot. Along with roasted veggies, I felt like I was feasting for lunch.
I knew I wanted to make creamy polenta, so I looked around online and decided to create my own recipe based off of Emeril's creamy polenta recipe. Here's what I came up with:
Polenta Recipe based off of Emeril’s Creamy Polenta Recipe
·
8 cups water (1-2 cups of
dry white wine can be substituted for some of the water) (original recipe calls
for 4 cups water, 4 cups milk; chicken or vegetable broth can also be used)
·
1 Tb butter
·
2 ts salt
·
2 cups polenta
·
½ cup cheese
In a large saucepan, bring the water (and optional wine) and
butter to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the water and whisk in the
polenta. Whisk constantly for 3 to 4 minues to prevent lumps. Simmer for 45
minutes, partially covered and stirring every 10 minutes, until the polenta is
thick, smooth, and creamy. Add the cheese. Check for seasoning and adjust
consistency by adding milk or water to the polenta. Polenta may be made up to
20 minutes ahead of time and kept covered until ready to serve.
Spread the leftovers in a 9x9 or 9x13 pan. Cover and
refrigerate. When cooled, the polenta may be cut into squares.
