Polenta

The beauty of polenta — the golden-yellow ground corn/maize — is that it is versatile, a great carrier of flavour, economical to buy and, what’s more, the perfect comfort food. Polenta is not only a staple of Northern Italy, where it’s principally a winter food served as a type of savoury porridge, it’s also popular in the southern states of America, where it’s grown to make grits and cornbread.

Polenta makes a welcome alternative to other carbs, such as rice, pasta, bread and potatoes, and may come ground or in slabs for frying or grilling. Use polenta as an alternative to mash, to make a crust for a tart, fried in cubes for croûtons, as crumbs for coating croquettes or in baking. For a flavour boost, add butter, cheese, spices, herbs or chilli. Do bear in mind that the coarser the grain, the longer it takes to cook and the stronger your arm will have to be, although there’s something very comforting about stirring a pot of polenta! Instant polenta cuts the cooking time to about 5—10 minutes, although most would argue that it doesn’t taste as good as the slow-cooked alternative.