Showing posts with label fontina cheese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fontina cheese. Show all posts

Thursday, July 19

Wicked Polenta

I have a confession to make.
I, The Gourmand am guilty of using polenta of the “instant” variety.
I admit also, that I enjoy preparing it this it this way, and I take pleasure in eating it too. Yes. I am guilty as a kitchen rat. I am not the gastronomic puritan you thought I was.
Making polenta the traditional way is not for me. I have decided after years of enduring burns from stirring boiling mush and scorched saucepans to wash afterwards, that from now on I will leave that method to the Italian nonnas. May God bless their blistered hands and burnt pots.

Here is how I do it the easy, wicked way:

For two people weigh out 200g instant polenta. In a saucepan bring 800ml of water to the boil. You can use milk instead of water for a richer dish. Add salt, or small stock cube if you like (another kitchen sin!).
Sprinkle the polenta into the boiling water, give it a quick stir, pop a lid on and turn the heat to low. Allow it to simmer for 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and beat in 100g of grated fontina cheese and 50g unsalted cultured butter. You can substitute blue cheese or a swiss style cheese if it suits the dish to which the polenta is to accompany.
Serve immediately with what you will. I like polenta with tomato braised sausages, like they do in Italy.
It reheats successfully in the microwave. Another sin! Some one get a priest before I commit yet another culinary offense!