Brainy Northern Italian Polenta...

 

Polenta is made from cornmeal. It can be eaten as a hot mush, or chilled then fried as a thick slice of yumminess. Northern Italians like polenta very much. It is often served with mild Italian sausage or a thin rolled braised beef called Braciole.

For this dish, you will need to have: olive oil, one onion, yellow cornmeal, chicken stock, Parmesan and butter.

Polenta -
2 tbs of olive oil
one whole onion chopped
2-4 cups of chicken stock
2 cups of yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan
4 tbs of butter or 1/2 stick

Heat oven to 350F. On the stove, saute your onion in the olive oil in a deep oven safe pot until browned on all edges; then, add your stock (use 2 for thicker) and 5 cups of water. Heat to boiling on high and slowly whisk in the cornmeal. Then cover and bake for 45-50 min.with an occasional stir - about every 10 min. Remove from the oven, add the butter and Parmesan for one last stir, then let it set covered.

 












Spoon the creamy polenta onto a plate, making a kind of thick pancake. Let is sit for a min or two. Then top with a sausage and a lite creamy tomato sauce. Or just serve and eat the sausage with the polenta alone... perhaps with only a pat of butter or cheese on the side.

 ~ Tutti a Tavola!