Polenta. Better than Mash.

I'm bored with mash.  While everyone loves a buttery, creamy mash there must be more to stodge.

Cue polenta...

I agree, polenta is fundamentally not exciting, but then again neither are potatoes.  The key is what you do with them - polenta and potatoes are vehicles for delicious flavours.

As you may or may not know, polenta is dried, ground corn (maize), it can be served either soft or toasted ('toasted' is the soft version left to set and then grilled).  Most packets will tell you how to make up the soft version, mine was 4 parts liquid to 1 part polenta.

Now not only will polenta give you a store cupboard alternative to potatoes, but it can also be used in baking (see my Lemon Polenta Cake blog), hence you would be mad not to make a special trip to the polenta aisle next time you're out shopping...

Below is a recipe for the toasted/grilled version.  It is a lazy cook's dream - you leave the soft polenta to set on a board, pop in the fridge and then cut slices off and grill when needed.

Ingredients

120 g instant polenta
250 ml milk
500 ml chicken or veg stock (dissolved stock cubes are fine)
a large handful of grated parmesan or gruyere (or a mix of both)
olive oil
seasoning
pesto (homemade if poss)
blue cheese or any leftover cheese (I used some pretty flavourless Camembert, it was the best result that cheese could ever have given)

Method

1. Place the milk and stock in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and after a couple of minutes stir in the polenta - be careful, if the liquid is still boiling you will get erupting polenta, pretty lethal to your hands and your oven.

3. Stir the polenta continuously over a low heat for up to 10 minutes until creamy.  Stir all the time to prevent lumps from forming, add seasoning and the grated parmesan/gryuere.

4. Oil a board and spoon the polenta on.  Shape it into a block, cool then cover and put in the fridge.

5. Once set, cut wedges off the polenta block and place on a greased baking tray.  Top with crumbled blue cheese or whatever cheese you have lying around, or even better first spread pesto on the polenta and then top with cheese.

6. Place the baking tray under a hot grill for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melting and the polenta hot throughout.

The verdict - the polenta was 'definitely as good as mash, in fact the most delicious polenta, ever'.  I've no complaints with that.