Polenta is soft and creamy when it is first cooked, but it hardens into a firmer dish as it cools and you can slice it as well. It is traditionally an Italian dish, although polenta is made all over the world today.
Oven Baked Polenta
recipe from Martha Stewart
3/4 cup cornmeal, I used freshly ground corn, but store bought works as well
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/8-1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
3 cups water
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram, or 1 teaspoon fresh
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a covered dish with a lid, whisk together the water, cornmeal, salt and pepper. Cover and bake for 30 minutes*, stirring halfway through.
Remove from the oven and add the milk, butter and marjoram. Whisk quickly until the polenta is smooth and creamy. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
*Side note: Apparently, a microwave will work in a pinch as well. My oven caught fire, the actual electric coil at the base of the oven broke off and starting sparking and smoking, in the middle of the baking process. I turned off the oven and when the sparks stopped, I simply placed the glass dish in the microwave and continued cooking it that way, stirring every couple of minutes until it was done. I'm waiting for delivery of a new stove now and looking forward to lots of holiday baking with a shiny new oven!
Old one go, new oven come, you must be excited! Thanks for sharing a new way of prepare cornmeal .
ReplyDeleteI have never had polenta... but I always have the ingredients... Looks awesome!
ReplyDeleteWe love polenta in our house, it's a winter staple. I just wish it stayed creamy because it just doesn't appeal to me in it's hardened leftover form. That's good to know abut the microwave, though---and congratulations on a new stove!
ReplyDeleteI grew up eating fried polenta, only we called it fried mush. I never liked it as a kid but was made to eat it. Have not tried it since becoming an adult.
ReplyDeleteI love polenta,such a warm and cozy food it is.
ReplyDeleteYour recipe looks so good Mary....
Loved the yummy looking chicken too...
Polenta is on my list too. You make it look so easy and delicious. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteQuite honestly... I'm about ready to get rid of half my cookbooks and start coming here!
ReplyDeleteLove polenta, but don't make them often enough. Looks so tasty with chicken piccata.
ReplyDeleteHoly Moly! That's a dramatic way for an oven to die... mine bit the dust in the "great pea soup disaster of 2002." For future reference, when using a pressure cooker... if it stops making noise part way through, this means the thing is clogged and one should remove it from the heat. Ignoring it will lead to an explosive mess and an entire kitchen coated with a fine layer of pea soup. It was an interesting way to redecorate, but apparently there was just no way to clean the soup out of the oven controls and get the thing to turn on again, so alas, it had to be replaced.
ReplyDeleteThe polenta looks great BTW!
My oven did that a while back. I just replaced the element and moved on. I've never had polenta before, but it sounds good.
ReplyDeleteMary - polenta is also on my 'gotta try' list. This week I finally tried quinoa and really enjoyed it. Maybe next week I'll whip up some polenta. :)
ReplyDeleteI love polenta, but never used oven to "cook it"...will have to try this method next time.
ReplyDeleteHope you are having a nice week Mary :-)
I have made polenta plenty of times but always on the stovetop. I will definitely have to try cooking it in the oven sometime!
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to make polenta as well. Yours looks scrumptious!
ReplyDeletePolenta sounds divine! Wish I had a bowl of it. ; )
ReplyDeleteI've never tried it!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about your oven - but at least you get a new one. I just got a new fridge today...very exciting for us foodies, huh?
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like some very comforting polenta and I bet it went great with your picata. We don't eat it often enough...or grits either. Did you really grind your own corn? That is very cool if you did.
Marje, I had no idea what was involved. I was expecting to replace it, but luckily it will be fixed tomorrow. A new heating element is all it needs and we'll be set for the holidays that way. Much faster than waiting for delivery of a new one and it will be just in time to bake my man's birthday cake on Thursday!
ReplyDeleteGeni, I did grind my corn, but it really wasn't a big deal at all. I have a grain mill for grinding wheat and it was an simple as pouring in a handful of corn and waiting a couple minutes for the cornmeal to be ground. :)
I have never had polenta, but it does sound delicious.
ReplyDeleteI've never had polenta but it has been on my to-try list for at least a year too...I'm always worried the texture will gross me out, what would you describe the texture as?
ReplyDeleteI've never made polenta either, but it looks easy and seems like I could make it dairy-free for my son. Always looking for new foods for him! And congrats on the new oven!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful dish and photograph - I love the comfort feeling I get from the photo. We're waiting for the new fridge delivery next Tuesday too. How exciting!! =) Next one should be oven... how nice you get a new oven!
ReplyDeleteYou could always use your oven for "smoking" some meat until the new one gets in, ha ha.
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