Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy-bottomed pot (3 to 4 quart)
• •Whisk
• •Wooden spoon or sturdy silicone spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Bring water to a boil

   Pour the water into a heavy-bottomed pot and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the salt now. Salting the water seasons the grain from within as it absorbs liquid. This is your only chance to build flavor into the core of each granule.

   A heavy pot matters here. Thin metal creates hot spots that scorch the polenta before it can cook through.
2. 2

   Add cornmeal slowly

   Reduce heat to medium. Take a handful of cornmeal and let it fall through your fingers into the water in a thin, steady stream while whisking constantly with your other hand. This is the moment that determines texture. Rush it and you will have lumps. Let the grains rain down slowly, whisking all the while, until every bit has been incorporated.

   Some cooks pour the cornmeal from a measuring cup while whisking. Use whichever method gives you control. The goal is a slow, steady stream.
3. 3

   Reduce heat and stir

   Once all the cornmeal is in, reduce the heat to low. The surface should barely bubble, like a mud pot in Yellowstone. Switch from your whisk to a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula. Stir every few minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the pot to prevent sticking.

4. 4

   Cook with patience

   Continue cooking and stirring for 40 to 45 minutes. The polenta will thicken gradually, then seem to plateau, then suddenly transform. You are waiting for the moment when it pulls away from the sides of the pot in a mass and tastes fully cooked, with no gritty resistance against your teeth. Stone-ground corn takes longer than instant. This is the point.

   If the polenta becomes too thick before it tastes done, add warm water a splash at a time. The grain needs liquid to finish softening.
5. 5

   Finish with butter and cheese

   Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the cold butter cubes, letting each one melt into the polenta before adding more. Then fold in the grated Parmesan. The residual heat will melt the cheese into silky threads. Taste. Adjust salt if needed. Add black pepper. The polenta should coat your spoon like cream and slide slowly back into the pot.

6. 6

   Serve immediately

   Spoon the polenta into warmed bowls. If you like, drizzle with good olive oil and scatter a few more shavings of Parmesan over the top. Polenta waits for no one. It begins to set the moment it leaves the heat. Bring it to the table while it still has that alive, flowing quality.

Chef Tips

• •Look for stone-ground cornmeal at farmers markets or order directly from regional mills. Anson Mills, Bob's Red Mill, and many smaller operations grind corn with care. The bag should feel slightly coarse, not powdery.
• •Store stone-ground cornmeal in the refrigerator or freezer. The oils in the germ go rancid at room temperature within weeks. Industrial cornmeal lasts forever precisely because those oils have been stripped away.
• •Serve creamy polenta under braised meats, roasted mushrooms, or a simple poached egg with greens. It is a canvas for whatever the season offers.
• •Leftover polenta firms up beautifully. Pour it into an oiled pan, let it set overnight, then slice and grill or pan-fry until golden. Two dishes from one pot of corn.

Advance Preparation

• •Polenta can be made several hours ahead and kept warm in a double boiler, stirring occasionally and adding splashes of warm water to maintain consistency.
• •To reheat fully cooled polenta, warm it gently over low heat with additional water or stock, stirring until it returns to a creamy consistency. It will never be quite as silky as fresh, but it will still be good.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 200g)