Isn’t it just cornmeal?
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What Is Polenta?
Polenta refers to both the raw Italian cornmeal product and the cooked dish.
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Polenta as a dish can beprepared multiple ways.
it’s cooked and served as a hot porridge that serves as the starchy base of a dish.
Traditionally it’s prepared in a large copper pot and stirred with a long wooden paddle.
(A regular pot and wooden spoon work just as well.)
If allowed to cool, polenta thickens and firms up.
These are often called polenta cakes.
Polenta Preference
In Northern Italy, polenta is more popular than pasta.
So much so that Northern Italians have earned the nicknamepolentoni,or polenta-eaters.
What Does Polenta Taste Like?
On its own, polenta has a mild corn flavor.
It can also be eaten alone with justbutter and Parmesanfolded in.
How To Make Polenta
This is a basic guide to cooking polenta.
For a creamy polenta, use four parts water to one part polenta (i.e.
4 cups water for every cup of polenta).
Cover it with plastic wrap and transfer it to the fridge to firm up before slicing and pan-frying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Well, yes.
On its own, yes.
