TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Polenta MorbidaSoft Polenta
A fundamental northern Italian contorno, made by gradually adding cornmeal to hot water and stirring as it cooks until soft. It forms a base for dishes such as baccalà alla vicentina or beef braised in red wine.
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- Polenta cornmealMedium-ground. Add gradually to prevent lumps.250 g
- Water1000 ml
- Salt10 g
- Unsalted butterStir in at the end for shine.30 g
Method
Bring salted water almost to a boil
- 1 Put 1000 ml water and 10 g salt in a heavy pot over high heat.
- 2 When small bubbles appear just before boiling, reduce to low heat.
Ready when
Continue when tiny bubbles rise along the sides and the surface moves gently just short of boiling.
Whisk in the cornmeal
- 1 Gradually rain in 250 g polenta cornmeal while whisking constantly.
Ready when
When no white lumps remain and the mixture is uniformly yellow, switch to a wooden spoon.
Cook over low heat
- 1 Cook over low heat for 35–40 minutes.
- 2 Stir broadly from the bottom every 2–3 minutes; continue when the surface bubbles gently, the grains lose their grittiness and a spoon's trail closes slowly.
Finish with butter
- 1 Turn off the heat and mix in 30 g unsalted butter.
- 2 Serve warm as a base for the sauce of a braised dish.
Ready when
It is ready when glossy and soft enough to spread slowly when poured onto a plate.
About this dish
Polenta is one of the staples that sustained northern Italian tables. After maize spread through Europe in the 16th century, it became everyday food in rural Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont and elsewhere. In mountain and lowland farming households, this grain dish was more familiar than bread or pasta and helped people through long winters.
Soft polenta is less a self-contained dish than the foundation for foods with sauce. It has long sat beside baccalà alla vicentina, brasato and braised game birds, northern dishes with rich sauces.
Although it now appears on restaurant plates, its origins are close to home and rural community life. Gathering around a pot and eating polenta with braising sauce preserves the very character of northern Italy's cold-season table.
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