Polenta, grits, cornmeal... Whatever you want to call it, it's delicious! Polenta is made from ground corn, or cornmeal... Added to boiling liquid, stirred a lot, and flavored. You can make it however you like, with whatever flavor profiles suit your need best. Below is a very basic polenta recipe--feel free to jazz it up with fresh herbs, change the cooking liquid, eliminate the butter, add flavored oils, etc.

This is a very basic, very creamy, very savory, very fattening version. It's the one I tend to use if I am using polenta as a compliment to a dish, rather than a main course. It's also a very large recipe. When I make it, I portion out that nights servings, and then refrigerate the rest in a jelly roll pan to set overnight. I then either bake or fry the leftovers in portions (use a cookie cutter to make fun shapes, or circles) and have crispy polenta cakes.

Ingredients:

1 lb of polenta
8 cups of chicken stock
1 cup of cream
1/2 cup of butter
salt
white pepper

Directions:

In a large stock pot bring chicken stock to a boil.

Once boiling, turn heat to low and whisk in polenta a little at a time.

Once all polenta has been added, stir in butter and cream. Stirring frequently, leave on low heat for 20-30 minutes.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately as polenta will harden as it sits...