Polenta as Easy as Pie
It’s always exciting to discover a new trick in the kitchen, and even better to share it with other food lovers. And if you like polenta, you’ll love this foolproof trick for making polenta.
I’ve attempted to make polenta at home before. It requires a lot of attention to stirring, stirring, stirring the pot so that it doesn’t stick. Patience and a willingness to stir are one thing, but the bigger problem has always been the volcanic eruptions. When polenta reaches a certain temperature, and you’ll know it when it happens, it bubbles so violently that it can hit the ceiling. Trust me, I’ve been there. Just be glad it hits the ceiling instead of a part of your face or arms. It’s not pleasant.
If you’re not brave or patient enough to try the stirring technique, you can purchase premade polenta rolls in the store. That’s fine if you planned to use fried or baked polenta slices for a recipe. But if you’re craving creamy, pudding like polenta, they just won’t do. I’ve tried to reconstitute them, but it’s just not the same.
So I think you can see why I’m so excited. I found a way, thanks to the Philadelphia Inquirer, to make creamy polenta without the tedious stirring or volcanic hazards. All you need is some unattended time to leave your pot in the oven. Not a bad tradeoff if you ask me. Here’s how:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a 4 quart casserole, mix together 8 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 cups of polenta, 2 tablespoons butter. Place in oven and bake uncovered for 1 hour, 15 minutes. Stir polenta and bake for 15 minutes more. Stir in 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese. Serve in a shallow bowl and top with sauce of your choosing. Enjoy!
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5 Responses to “Polenta as Easy as Pie”
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What a great example of applied thermodynamics.
Would you mind explaining the applicability of the concept for those of us less scientifically inclined?
The reason polenta spurts when you are cooking it on a stove is because of uneven heating of the polenta and the difference of the temperature of the air. Heat wants to make cold things warmer in it its environment so heat goes conducts through the polenta to heat the air. You stir polenta because it is a non-homogeneous subtance in which different size air bubbles expand at different rates and experience different heat loads because of the uneven heat conduction; stiring makes the bubbles more uniform. The oven is a closed environment which produces an even temperature gradient. There is less variability in heat distribution hence everything heats more evenly quelling the occasional polenta eruption.
There is no reson to spend too much time making yellow cream of wheat!
Fine! Then none for you.