Jeni Wright, Eric Treuille, Le Cordon Bleu

Polenta

Appears in
top 1000Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cooking Techniques
Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cooking Techniques

By Jeni Wright, Eric Treuille and Le Cordon Bleu

Published 1996

  • About
Also called cornmeal, it can be served moist, enriched with butter and grated Parmesan cheese as a side dish, or in firm, crisp-crusted pieces that have been pan-fried or chargrilled. These are usually topped with chargrilled vegetables or a fresh tomato sauce.
  1. Bring 1.8 litres salted water to the boil. Reduce heat to very low and simmer. Slowly add 300 g polenta, stirring constantly.

  2. Cook, stirring, until it pulls away from the pan, 20 minutes. You can now serve the polenta, with butter and Parmesan stirred in.

  3. For fried or chargrilled polenta, omit butter and Parmesan and spread polenta 2 cm thick on a work surface. Leave until cold.

  4. Trim the rough edges to form a rectangle. Cut lengthwise down the centre of the rectangle, then cut into wedges, as shown here, using a chef’s knife.

  5. Separate the wedges. Brush the tops with olive oil. Pan-fry or chargrill, turning halfway through and brushing with more oil, until golden brown, about 6 minutes.