serves
4-6
cook
35 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
4-6
people
cooking
35
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 325 ml water
- 325 ml milk
- 100 g polenta
- 25 g butter
- 30 g grated parmesan
Instructions
It’s best to make polenta in a wider-based pot, so it has plenty of room to move. It also helps it cook nicely with less chance of sticking.
Mix the water and milk in your pot, place it over a medium heat and watch it carefully with whisk in hand and polenta nearby so you can catch it before it boils over.
As the liquid comes up to the boil, slowly rain in the polenta with one hand and whisk with the other.
Once it comes to the boil, turn the heat down to as low as it will go, throw in a large pinch of salt and continue whisking at regular intervals. This is very important as lumpy polenta is very bad. Cook for at least 30 minutes.
The polenta is ready once you taste it and can no longer feel a grainy texture on your tongue. Mix in the butter and parmesan and season quite heavily with more salt and white pepper. Cover your pot with a lid and leave it in a warm spot while you ready yourself for the next stage of your cooking moment.
Note
• Use the butter and cheese amounts as a guide only, depending on how you plan to use the polenta. I find it can always take a little more of both.
Photographs by Benito Martin. Styling by Lynsey Fryers. Food preparation by Suresh Watson.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
