Polenta
A Lombard cornmeal porridge made from coarse bramata polenta, cooked low and slow until it pulls away from the pot, then stirred with butter and Grana Padano just before serving.
The polenta is first whisked smooth into the boiling water, then simmers for a long time over low heat, stirred regularly, before being seasoned to taste and served piping hot with butter and cheese. Have the serving set up ready, since its creamy texture depends on it going straight onto the plate.
Ingredients
- 1½ l water
- 1 tbsp salt
- 300 g polenta, coarse (bramata)
- 50 g butter, in pats
- 60 g Grana Padano, freshly grated
How to make it
- Put the water in a heavy-bottomed pot and add the salt. Bring it to a boil over high heat, until the water is boiling with big, rolling bubbles. ⏱ 8 min–10 min · passive
- Turn the heat down to medium and sprinkle the polenta into the boiling, salted water in a thin stream while whisking constantly with a whisk. Keep going for 3 minutes, until the mixture is completely smooth without a single lump and begins to thicken around the whisk.Chef's tip A thin, steady rain of meal is what prevents lumps — a dumped handful gelatinises on the outside and traps dry meal inside. If a lump forms anyway, press it against the pot side with the whisk while the mixture is still loose.
- Turn the heat down to low, switch to a wooden spoon, and let the polenta cook for 40-50 minutes with the lid ajar. Stir it thoroughly every couple of minutes, scraping the bottom and sides, since the cornmeal will otherwise settle and scorch. The polenta is done when it briefly pulls away from the side of the pot and falls heavily and slowly off the spoon. ⏱ 40 min–50 minChef's tip Keep the surface at slow, heavy blips rather than a simmer. Thick polenta spits scalding, and the coarse bramata grain needs time, not heat, to soften — high heat thickens the outside while the centre stays gritty.
- Take the pot off the heat and season the finished polenta to taste with salt, so it tastes round and full all the way through — the cheese at the end only salts the surface. Stir it glossy one last time, so it flows evenly and without streaks.
- Ladle the hot polenta into deep plates and smooth the surface with the back of a wet spoon, so there's a shallow well in the middle. Put a pat of butter in each well and grate Grana Padano over it while the polenta is still steaming, so the butter melts down into the polenta. Set the rest of the cheese on the table, so everyone can sprinkle more on as they go. Serve immediately — polenta sets as soon as it sits still.Chef's tip Polenta sets against cold plates and skins over in a matter of minutes. Warm the plates under the hot tap and dry them off, so it keeps flowing softly out to the rim.
