I haven't made it for awhile, but I love this Gary Danko recipe for oven polenta that is soft and loose. It has the advantage of being fuss free. It's from the yellow San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook, now completely viewable on books.google.com
Preheat oven to 350F. Heat 4 Tbsp olive oil in a heavy pot. Add 1/2 cup minced onion. When translucent, add 1 cup of polenta and stir to coat with the oil. Gradually add 6 cups of boiling water, measured after it boils, while whisking. Add 2 tsp salt. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Whisk after removing from oven. It will mound slightly. Serves 4 to 6.
Of course it will continue to firm as it cools but he says you can keep it warm and loose in a water bath to hold for up to several hours.
I use a basic polenta recipe from this cookbook:
http://www.amazon.com/Polenta-Brigit-Legere-Binns/dp/0811811859
It's a great cookbook, but I've found I always need to add more liquid than the recipes call for. With 4 cups liquid in the recipe, I usually add between 5-6 cups. Also, the temperature of my stove affects how much liquid I need. Cooking the polenta at a very low (1-2 on the stove) temperature seems to reduce the need to add extra liquid (though I still always end up adding at least 1 cup).
And don't let it sit too long once it's done. No matter how much liquid, polenta/grits are going to stiffen up as they cool. Plan your meal timing so that as soon as the polenta's done, you serve.
I just watched an America's Test Kitchen episode on polenta. They say the secret is just a pinch of baking soda. It somehow helps break down the surface of the corn pieces for added creaminess. Haven't tried it yet, but I plan on it.
I've had this issue and I did find that adding far more liquid than I planned to did help. Are you using just water or a combination of milk and water? I recently made polenta using Mark Bittman's recipe in How to Cook Everything, and he adds a small portion of milk, which seemed to help make the polenta creamier. Was noticeably different from any polenta I'd ever cooked -- but just for the record, I had to add at least 1/3 more liquid than the recipe called for!
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Preheat oven to 350F. Heat 4 Tbsp olive oil in a heavy pot. Add 1/2 cup minced onion. When translucent, add 1 cup of polenta and stir to coat with the oil. Gradually add 6 cups of boiling water, measured after it boils, while whisking. Add 2 tsp salt. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Whisk after removing from oven. It will mound slightly. Serves 4 to 6.
Of course it will continue to firm as it cools but he says you can keep it warm and loose in a water bath to hold for up to several hours.
Interesting tip from ATK, Queen of Spoons.
http://www.amazon.com/Polenta-Brigit-Legere-Binns/dp/0811811859
It's a great cookbook, but I've found I always need to add more liquid than the recipes call for. With 4 cups liquid in the recipe, I usually add between 5-6 cups. Also, the temperature of my stove affects how much liquid I need. Cooking the polenta at a very low (1-2 on the stove) temperature seems to reduce the need to add extra liquid (though I still always end up adding at least 1 cup).
http://casa-giardino.blogspot.com/2011/02/polenta-di-mais-o-granturco.html#links