Polenta Recipe {So Creamy!} (2024)

FAQs

Why is my polenta not creamy? ›

Cook the Polenta Longer

I always thought my polenta looked done after 15 or 20 minutes of cooking, but just because it's thickened doesn't mean the cornmeal has cooked through. Keep on cooking until it tastes creamy, corny, and a little bit sweet. That extra time makes all the difference.

Lumps are the biggest pitfall in making polenta, but it's easy to avoid them. Pour the cornmeal into the water gradually – NOT all at once – and whisk constantly as you do it. The constant whisking will evenly disperse the cornmeal grounds in the water, so they won't have a chance to clump together.

In Italy it is often made with various ingredients, including cornmeal, ground rice, buckwheat, and chestnut flour. Here in North America, it is generally made exclusively with coarsely ground cornmeal. Think of polenta as an Italian version of grits! But made with yellow corn instead of the white corn of grits.

Cooking it in milk will produce a rich and creamy polenta that's delicious and indulgent, but also heavy; stock (vegetable or chicken) will infuse the polenta with more flavor, but that flavor can also cover up the taste of the cornmeal.

If the polenta is too runny for you, or the grits need another 15-20 minutes, give it any more necessary time in the oven and a finishing whisking.

In Italian cooking, polenta is made with water. Some more Americanized recipes will prompt you to start with milk or stock, but (in my opinion) they are wrong. Hydrating your polenta with water will allow the flavor of the corn to shine, and it will allow each individual grain to absorb salt more readily.

In Italy, you'll find polenta made from yellow cornmeal or white cornmeal, though yellow is more common. The best polenta is made from stone ground corn, which comes in a coarse, medium, or fine grind. Cornmeal labeled polenta is usually a coarse-grind, but you can make the dish with a medium or fine-grind.

Instead of constant stirring, a quick, vigorous initial stir—always with a whisk, not a spoon—quickly releases enough starch from the corn that little stirring is needed after that. Then the grains should cook low and slow—no supervision needed.

Polenta is high in protein and fiber, but compared to rice, pasta, or potatoes, it's much lower in calories and fat, yet still provides a source of complex carbs that are much-needed for energy. So, why not to try polenta out for your next meal?

Polenta contains both protein and fiber to help a person feel full. Fiber is also recommended to keep the digestive system functioning properly, to feed healthy gut bacteria, and to prevent constipation.

What do Italians do with polenta? ›

In Italy, polenta is often eaten family-style from a large platter or wooden board, allowing guests to serve themselves at the table. Polenta, slow simmered ground corn, is eaten in many ways, as a main or side dish. It can be served simply, with just butter and cheese, or topped with sauce.

To say that 18th-century Northern Italians loved polenta wouldn't be wrong, but it also wouldn't be the complete picture. They chowed down on polenta largely because they had to — especially in agrarian regions of Italy which relied on corn as a staple crop.

You could use a spoon, but whisking as it thickens will break up clumps and make polenta that is creamier throughout. (If using a spoon at the beginning, you'll have to whisk vigorously for a while to break up clumps. Polenta should look like loose scrambled eggs in the pan.

Polenta is a northern Italian dish made of yellow cornmeal. It's soft and creamy when it's freshly cooked, with a texture similar to porridge. When it cools, it becomes firm enough to be easily sliced with a knife.

Yes, you can overcook polenta but the good news is that it is easy to correct. You can adjust the texture again with more liquid until your ratio is perfect.