Description
The final cakes one cuts from the cooled polenta can be re-heated in a number of ways for plating; sautéed in a pan on the stovetop, or warmed in the oven. I often sauté on one side, flip them then put in the oven to heat through.
Ingredients
Scale
- Butter to sauté the garlic
- 2 tbsp sliced wild garlic fresh bulbs
- 7 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups quality stone-ground cornmeal
- 3 oz grated or micro-planed Parmesan
- 2 tbsp finely chopped English thyme
- Salt (about 1 tsp) and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter then sauté the sliced garlic until lightly golden.
- Add the stock and a teaspoon of salt and bring to a simmer.
- Whisk in the cornmeal and bring to a simmer.
- Continue to cook at just-under-boiling temperatures, for 5 minutes or until the mixture is thickened. Be careful, polenta gets very hot and it can cause nasty burns if it gets on your skin!
- Pull polenta off the heat, and then mix in the grated cheese and thyme. Season to taste.
- Pour the polenta into well-greased flat-bottom dish in about a 1-inch layer (a Pyrex brownie pan is perfect), and cool for at least 2 hours. First hour out on a counter then finish in the refrigerator. This can, and actually should be made the day before, to allow the polenta to properly set and cool.
- Once cool, you can either cut the pieces you want out of your pan for removal, or you can try to take all of the polenta out then cut shapes. I usually cut first then remove.