Polenta
Coarsely ground cornmeal, and the porridge made from it — the old staple of northern Italy.
sweet · corny
Kinds
- Coarse (bramata)
- Takes 40 minutes or more; the fullest flavour.
- Instant
- Pre-cooked, ready in minutes, but flatter.
- White (polenta bianca)
- From white corn; the Veneto's, with fish.
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- Italian delis.
- A little history
- Before maize arrived from the Americas, Italian polenta was made from other grains, pulses or chestnut flour.
- Worth knowing
- Whisk it into boiling salted water in a thin stream so it doesn't lump. Leftovers set firm — slice and grill them.