Soft Oven Polenta Food

OVEN-BAKED CREAMY POLENTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In an ovenproof saucepan with a lid, whisk together 3 cups water, cornmeal, salt, and pepper. Cover, and bake 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
• Remove from oven, and add milk, butter, and marjoram; whisk briskly until smooth. Serve immediately.

PERFECT SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• In a 4-quart saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
• Slowly whisk in the polenta. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the polenta is hydrated, about 2 hours.
• Remove from the heat and whisk in the mascarpone, Parmesan and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve topped with a drizzle of olive oil and more Parmesan, if desired.

SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring 3 cups water to a full boil in a heavy pot. Simmer the remaining water close by.
• Add the salt and rapidly stir the water with a whisk, creating a vortex. Continuing to stir constantly, add the polenta in a thin stream into the vortex.
• Continue to stir after all the polenta has been added, then lower the heat to a simmer rather than a boil.
• As the polenta thickens, replace the whisk with a long-handled wooden spoon.
• Add the 1 cup of remaining water and continue to stir. Break up any lumps with the back of the spoon pressed against the pot.
• Continue stirring the polenta, reaching to the bottom of the pot as necessary, until it gets thick and pulls away from the sides of the pot.
• Taste the polenta to test tenderness; add additional water if necessary. The polenta can take 15 to 60 minutes to cook properly, depending on its type.
• During the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir in the pepper and butter, then add the cheese.
• Remove from heat.
• If serving immediately, pour onto a large platter or into a bowl or individual dishes.

SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• Add 4 1/2 cups water, 1 tablespoon salt and the olive oil to a medium saucepot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk in the cornmeal in a steady stream, until it is all incorporated and smooth.
• Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook at a simmer until the polenta is creamy and fully hydrated, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Take the saucepot off the heat and whisk in the butter and Parmesan. Season with additional salt and pepper. Transfer the polenta to a large serving bowl and serve.

SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• Add the salt to 6 cups of water in a pot, and bring to boil over high heat. Very slowly sift in alternating handfuls of coarse and fine cornmeal, whisking constantly.
• Add the butter, reduce heat to low and stir with a wooden spoon until the polenta peels cleanly off the sides of the pot as it is stirred, about 20 minutes.
• Make a circle of coarse cornmeal 15 inches in diameter on a tablecloth, and spread the polenta over it to a thickness of 3/4 inch. Top with 4 cups of the beans and sausage and serve on the tablecloth.

BASIC POLENTA

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring the vegetable broth and the water to a boil.
• Slowly pour the cornmeal into the hot liquid, wisking constantly.
• Stir in the salt.
• Lower the heat to cook the mixture at a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until the cornmeal is creamy and not grainy, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the polenta from the heat and stir in scallion.
• Polenta can be served soft, or poured into a baking pan to cool.
• Once cooled, polenta can then be cut into solid squares.

OVEN BAKED POLENTA WITH PARMESAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450^F.
• Bring water to a boil and add 2 tsp salt.
• Bring water to a simmer.
• Gradually whisk in the cornmeal.
• Whisk smooth.
• Bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven.
• Bake 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes until thick and no longer gritty.
• Stir in the butter and the Parmesan cheese.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve with extra grated Parmesan cheese.

SOFT POLENTA

Steps:

• Combine water and stock in a large saucepan; bring to the boil.
• Gradually add polenta to the liquid, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring, about 10 minutes or until polenta thickens.
• Add milk and cheese; stir until cheese melts.

NO-STIR OVEN POLENTA

Steps:

• Mix everything in a shallow pan which is ovenproof.
• Put it in a 350 degree oven.
• After about 40 minutes, give it a stir and see if it's done.
• If not, cook another few minutes.
• You can add less or more liquid, depending upon whether you like the polenta soft or more solid.

MOM'S EASY OVEN POLENTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a 1 to 1-1/2 quart baking pan, stir together the water, salt, pepper and polenta.
• Add the pieces of butter.
• Place the container, uncovered, in the center of the top rack of the oven and bake for 40 minutes.
• Open the oven, pull out the rack and stir the polenta (this is also the time to add any additional ingredients such as cheese).
• Close the oven and bake the polenta for an additional 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
• At this point you can either prepare it for frying or serve immediately; if you want to fry it, then you should form it in a pan and refrigerate for several hours.
• It's great straight out of the oven with marinara sauce on it.
• Good additions are Monterey Jack cheese, parmesan, jalapenos, or even pine nuts.