Elegant Tri Colored Polenta Recipes

BAKED POLENTA WITH RICOTTA AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Soak polenta in cold water for 1 hour. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Drain polenta, then place in a heavy-bottomed pot or ovenproof baking dish. Add salt and 4 cups water.
• Place pot in oven, cover, and bake for 45 minutes. (The polenta will begin to simmer and absorb water after a few minutes. No need to stir.)
• After 45 minutes, uncover and stir in the olive oil, ricotta and Parmesan, but don't overmix. Some of the ricotta should remain in big blobs. The mixture may be a bit soupy at this point, but will thicken as it continues to cook. Bake, uncovered, for another 15 minutes, until top has browned. Finish with a generous amount of pepper.

ELEGANT TRI-COLORED POLENTA

Steps:

• Saute 2/3 of the garlic (4 cloves) in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until just golden.
• Add chopped tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Reserve.
• Arrange spinach, while still wet from washing, in a large skillet and sprinkle with salt.
• Place over moderate heat and cook until spinach is completely wilted.
• Drain thoroughly of all excess water and chop coarsley.
• Saute spinach with remaining garlic (2 cloves) in 2 tablespoons olive oil and reserve.
• Saute leeks in 2 tablespoons olive oil over low heat until golden.
• Reserve.
• Combine goat cheese, yogurt and thyme in a bowl and blend until creamy and spreadable.
• Reserve.
• Dissolve 2 teaspoons salt in water in a large pot (preferably not too deep).
• Stir in cornmeal with a wire wisk and place over moderate heat.
• Continue stirring constantly with the whisk until cornmeal begins to thicken, then change to a wooden spoon.
• Polenta is done when it pulls away from the sides of the pan (about 15 minutes).
• Place 2/3 of the polenta in a bowl.
• Add 1 cup of the tomatoes.
• Add spinach to the remaining 1/3 of the polenta.
• Spread half the tomato-polenta mixture on the bottom of a lightly oiled 9 inch spring-form cake pan.
• Spread 1/2 of the goat cheese mixture over the tomato-polenta, then spread half of the leeks next.
• Continue layering the spinach-polenta mixture, the remaining goat cheese mixture and the remaining leeks.
• Top with the remaining tomato-polenta mixture.
• Bake in a 450º oven for 25 minutes.
• Allow to stand at least 10 minutes before removing spring-form ring.
• Cut in wedges and serve with remaining tomato sauce.

CHEF JOHN'S THREE CORN POLENTA

Steps:

• Melt 1 teaspoon butter and olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook and stir 2/3 of the corn, with a pinch of salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper in the hot butter and oil until the corn is fragrant and golden, about 10 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Pour 2 cups water into corn mixture; bring to a simmer and whisk polenta into mixture. Bring to a simmer again, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick and polenta absorbs the water, 20 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup water and stir; cook for until water is completely absorbed, about 10 minutes more.
• Stir remaining corn and 1 teaspoon butter into polenta mixture. Remove from heat, cover the pot, and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

HOW TO MAKE PERFECT POLENTA

Steps:

• Bring water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan; pour polenta slowly into boiling water, whisking constantly until all polenta is stirred in and there are no lumps.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking often, until polenta starts to thicken, about 5 minutes. Polenta mixture should still be slightly loose. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, whisking every 5 to 6 minutes. When polenta is too thick to whisk, stir with a wooden spoon. Polenta is done when texture is creamy and the individual grains are tender.
• Turn off heat and gently stir 2 tablespoons butter into polenta until butter partially melts; mix 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into polenta until cheese has melted. Cover and let stand 5 minutes to thicken; stir and taste for salt before transferring to a serving bowl. Top polenta with remaining 1 tablespoon butter and about 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnish.