Making Polenta/Fried Mush

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

Oh the overlooked versatile cornmeal side dish!

I'm making a basic polenta for dinner tonight. I'll eat some soft tonight while it is still warm. You can top it with anything! Sub it for noodles for your ragu or marinara... Instead of mashed or roasted potatoes, etc.

I then split half of whats left (I make a good bit so I can do this) and put some spices (Herbs de Provence are amazing!) in one part and little sugar and a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla in the other half. Let each cool in a loaf pan overnight and I get fried cornmeal mush in the morning and some hard polenta cakes for the lunch or dinner later this week!

For the cornmeal mush I'll slice it and fry it up in some butter or bacon grease. I love it with my fried eggs and bacon, maybe a little MAPLE syrup (not maple flavored sugar stuff).

The polenta cakes I'll fry in olive oil or just reheat in the oven and have with any savory dish. Goes great with a thin sliced roast beef with a nice sauce (Herbs de Provence in the sauce go great ). You can also reheat the cakes on your char-grill.

Best of all, this stuff is cheap and all made by using a basic 3 parts boiling water to 1 part corn meal ratio!

Grits are prepared a lot of the same way but since I'm a northerner I'm not going to infringe on the southern tradition!

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

I like your style and well done Chef!!

In our house, I like to sauté a little minced red onion and minced garlic. Instead of water, I add about 1 quart chicken stock. Heat to boil and the add 1 cup coarse ground cornmeal (which will make 6-8 servings), while continually whisking. Lower heat to simmer and whisk about every few minutes until creamy (about 20-25 minutes).

Remove from heat, add unsalted butter (1 tbsp), sea salt, cracked pepper ( to taste), and fresh grated parmesan (hmmm...say 3oz). Like you, I pour the polenta ("Polenta? Oh, you mean Italian grits."), into a pan (I use a deep cake pan lined with parchment paper), and refrig until frimly set.

Then I use a cookie cutter to cut out triangle shapes, (gently now...gently), lightly bread (flour, egg, milk, fine bread crumbs), and fry or just brush with olive oil and sauté both sides.

"Bon Appétit...Celebrating the Chef in You!!! CBJ

"Every morning one must start from scratch, with nothing on the stoves. That is cuisine". Chef Fernand Point

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

Polenta is most definitely overlooked as a side dish in the States! (Even spell check in Chrome doesn't recognize it!) You can make it go with anything depending on how you spice it and reheat it.

 

[The Count of Merkur Cristo]

Polenta is most definitely overlooked as a side dish in the States! (Even spell check in Chrome doesn't recognize it!) You can make it go with anything depending on how you spice it and reheat it.

Chef:
I that!!!

"A smiling Face is half the Meal". Culinary Proverb

 

[Matt_Bloodletter]

I love the polenta. I like to use chicken broth and cream in place of water. Then comes the butter.

 

[ChefJohnBoy-ardee]

I love the polenta. I like to use chicken broth and cream in place of water. Then comes the butter.

If I know I won't have left over (or not craving mush) I will use chicken stock! Vegetable stocks works well too if you are having some vegetarians over!

I'm mostly pointing out that you can make it an infinite number of ways but it boils down to-actually starts off with- 3 parts liquid, 1 part cornmeal and some salt. Fat and flavor (same thing really) go to whatever you want!

 

[DogHair]

Wonderful! My grandmother made us fried mush when I was young. My wife and kids thought I was nuts when I made it for them.