Author Notes
I love polenta because it's so versatile. This basic polenta recipe can be enjoyed right after cooking as a comforting side dish with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese; it can also be served sweet, for breakfast or dessert, by adding some berries, honey, and maybe some nuts. If you do choose to pour it into a pan and chill it over night, it can be a savory accompaniment to any meal (as you see here), or try it for breakfast pan-fried and then topped with butter and maple syrup...it's great any way you serve it! —WinnieAb
Ingredients
- Make the Polenta
-
4 cups
water
-
1 cup
milk, preferably organic
-
1 cup
polenta
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1 teaspoon
sea salt
-
1 tablespoon
butter
-
additional butter or olive oil for pan-frying the polenta
- Sage Brown Butter Sauce
-
4 tablespoons
butter
-
15-20
fresh sage leaves, chopped
-
1 tablespoon
fresh lemon juice
-
1 pinch
sea salt
Directions
- Make the Polenta
-
In a large heavy bottomed pot on the stove, heat the water and the milk to a boil.
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Add the polenta, stir and bring back to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
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Cook uncovered for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the polenta is not sticking to the bottom, until thickened.
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Remove from heat and stir in the salt and the butter.
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Pour the polenta into a buttered pan, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
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When cool and very firm, cut polenta into squares (or triangles or whatever shape you like). Depending on the size of the pan you used, you should be able to cut the polenta into 6-8 pieces.
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Heat 1-2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil (or a combination) in a skillet over medium heat. Fry on both sides until golden (2--3 minutes per side). Serve with sage brown butter.
- Sage Brown Butter Sauce
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Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Allow several minutes for the butter to turn brown and bubbly, then add the sage leaves. Cook for a minute or two and then remove from the heat.
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Stir in the lemon juice and the salt, and spoon over the slices of pan-fried polenta.
I grew up in a restaurant family (my parents owned the now closed Quilted Giraffe in NYC) and I've always loved to cook.
My interest in the connection between food and health led me to pursue a graduate degree in naturopathic medicine. I don't practice medicine anymore; I have a blog called Healthy Green Kitchen that I started in May of 2009 and I wrote a book called One Simple Change that will be published in January, 2014.
I live in upstate New York with my family and many pets.
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