Ingredients:
4 cups (1 liter) water
1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
1 1/2 cups (250 g) yellow or white polenta meal.
Instructions:
This recipe is courtesy of chef Renato Piccolotto.
Polenta had long been a staple of Venetian cooking and its uncomplicated preparation is emblematic of the region's cuisine. The corn meal used to make polenta is a coarse grind and some connoisseurs will insist on using only the freshest direct from the mill. (It is said that a coarsely ground meal keeps better in the seaside climate of Venice.)
Both yellow and white corn are ground up to make polenta, with yellow being the most common and white considered by some cooks to be superior with a more delicate flavor.
The ideal pan for making polenta is a copper pot (called "caldera") but any heavy-based casserole will do.
Bring the water to boil in a copper pot or other heavy-based pot. Add the salt. Pour the polenta into the rapidly boiling water, stirring with a whisk to prevent lumps from forming. Lower the heat so that the polenta continues to cook gently for at least 45 minutes. Stir the polenta from time to time as it cooks, using a wooden spoon.
If you would like to cut the polenta into pieces for grilling or toasting, pour into a shallow metal pan and allow it to cool. Alternatively, pour the polenta onto the traditional wooden polenta board and serve it immediately.
Serves 10-12 persons
Note: The proportion of polenta to water varies according to the results you're after. For a creamy polenta enriched with butter and Parmesan (excellant with soft-shell crabs, mushrooms, small fried fish, etc.) make the polenta much softer by adding more water.
Alternatively, to make a polenta that can be cut into pieces and fried or toasted, increase the amount of flour to make a thicker, firmer polenta. In general, experience is the best teacher for making polenta. If possible, try to find the freshest polenta meal available.
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