Given all the fuss that has been made about the difficulty of producing the real thing, I wouldn’t blame you if you bought “instant” polenta. But polenta—and its identical Romanian cousin, mamaliga—is basically cornmeal mush, ethereal when made correctly and hardly neurosurgery. First off, forget about stirring clockwise for 40 minutes with a long-handled wooden spoon or any of the other myths you’ve heard about how it has to be made. If you want great creamy polenta, cook the cornmeal very slowly and add as much butter as you can in good conscience. Second, this is a case where Parmigiano-Reggiano, the real Parmesan, will shine. Finally, note that the amount of water you use is variable: use 5 cups if you want to make very firm polenta that you can later grill or sauté; use more water if you want smooth, soft polenta, into which you will stir cheese and serve as a simple side dish or perhaps with a little tomato sauce. The following recipe is based on one food writer Mitchell Davis learned from the chef at Cibreo in Florence, Italy. You could, of course, omit one or all of the herbs if you didn’t have them on hand. With herbs or without, this polenta is great with any Italian roast or braised dish or with simply grilled Italian sausage.

　　

Ingredients

makes 6 to 8 servings

　　1 cup milk, preferably whole

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　2 cups coarse cornmeal

　　2 teaspoons minced fresh sage leaves

　　2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

　　1 garlic clove, minced

　　Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

　　4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

　　1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or more to taste

　　

Step 1

Bring the milk to a boil with 7 cups water in a medium saucepan; add a large pinch of salt. In a bowl, mix together the cornmeal, sage, rosemary, garlic, some pepper, and the nutmeg. Adjust the heat so the liquid simmers and begin to add the cornmeal mixture in a steady stream, stirring or whisking all the while to prevent the formation of lumps.When it has all been added, return the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat to low. The polenta should just barely be simmering; use a heat diffuser if necessary or, if you’re cooking on an electric stove, move the pot to a second burner turned to low at this point.

　　

Step 2

Cook without stirring for 45 minutes. The polenta will have formed a crust on the bottom of the pan at this point; carefully stir it to incorporate the liquid in the pan without disturbing the crust. Cook for another 15 or so minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.

　　

Step 3

Taste and season the polenta with salt and pepper. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the butter and Parmesan, and serve immediately, passing more cheese at the table if you like.

　　

Polenta “Gratin”

Step 4

Make the polenta with 5 cups water. Immediately spoon or pour the polenta into a buttered baking dish so that it is about an inch thick. Top with about a cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and broil until the cheese melts and browns slightly. Cut into squares and serve, with meat, poultry, or bean dishes.

　　

Fried or Grilled Polenta

Step 5

Make the polenta with 5 cups water. When it’s done, turn the pot over and pour the polenta out onto a board. Let cool slightly, then cut with a string into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick slices. Now you can brush with olive oil and grill, with a little salt and pepper, or sauté in olive oil. Or dip in egg and grated Parmesan and sauté in melted butter.

　　

Polenta with Fresh Corn

Step 6

Stir 1 to 2 cups fresh corn kernels (or use canned or frozen, though obviously these are somewhat inferior) into the polenta during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.