Holiday polenta: dress up this simple dish for any celebration

Sunset, Nov, 2004 by Kate Washington

Polenta--onetime food of peasants--now consorts with the grandest roast meats on restaurant menus. Chefs here in the West are putting delicious spins on the dish, giving it great holiday potential. A simply flavored, soft polenta laced with cheese is an appealing supper to come home to after tree cutting or caroling. And mixed with special ingredients such as wild mushrooms and truffle oil, polenta becomes a perfect side dish for a roast bird or leg of lamb on any holiday table.

Basic Polenta

PREP AND COOK TIME: 25 to 45 minutes

MAKES: About 4 cups: 4 servings

NOTES: Look for Italian brands of polenta or cornmeal labeled "polenta": avoid instant. Polenta's cooking time depends on your preference. In our tests, 20 minutes produced creamy polenta with tender, separate grains; after 40 minutes, the mixture was thicker, with softer, less distinct grains.

1 cup polenta (see notes) About 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter (optional)

1. In a 3-quart pan over high heat, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Reduce heat to a low boil.

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2. Stirring constantly, pour in polenta in a slow, thin stream, pausing occasionally to break up any lumps. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt.

3. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until polenta is thick and creamy to bite and pulls away slightly from sides of pan when stirred, 20 to 40 minutes (see notes); adjust heat as necessary to maintain a simmer. Stir in butter, if desired, and add more salt to taste.

Per serving: 250 cal., 1.8% (4.5 cal.) from fat, 6 g protein; 0.5 g fat (0 g sat.); 54 g carbo (7 g fiber); 290 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Polenta with Pancetta and Sage

PREP AND COOK TIME: 50 minutes

MAKES: About 4 1/2 cups; 4 to 6 servings

NOTES: Pancetta is available in many supermarkets and at Italian groceries. Garnish the polenta with sprigs of fresh sage or with fried sage leaves.

1/2 cup chopped pancetta (3 oz.) or bacon
  1 teaspoon olive oil
  1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
  1 cup polenta Salt and fresh-ground pepper

1. In a 2 1/2- to 3-quart pan over medium-high heat, stir pancetta in olive oil until crisp and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer half the pancetta to paper towels to drain.

2. Add chopped sage to pan and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 5 cups water and bring to a boil.

3. Following steps 2 and 3 of basic polenta recipe (page 110), add polenta (omit salt in step 2) and cook until tender to bite. Add salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste (omit butter).

4. Ladle polenta into bowls and top with reserved pancetta.

Per serving: 252 cal., 33% (83 cal.) from fat; 5.2 g protein; 9.2 g fat (3.1 g sat.); 36 g carbo (4.7 g fiber); 97 mg sodium; 9.5 mg chol.

Truffled Creamy Polenta

PREP AND COOK TIME: 30 to 45 minutes

MAKES: 6 side-dish servings

NOTES: This rich polenta is based on one served by chef Mark Purdy, formerly of the Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, California. For Purdy's deluxe version, omit the mushrooms and stir 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped black truffles into polenta with the cheeses. Truffle oil is available in specialty markets; use either white or black.

Follow directions for basic polenta (recipe on page 110), substituting 5 cups milk for the water in step 1 and omitting butter in step 3. While polenta cooks, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium heat. Stir in 1 cup finely chopped rinsed black trumpet, chanterelle, or common mushrooms (or use a mixture). Stir often until liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are browned, about 7 minutes. Stir mushrooms, 1/2 cup mascarpone or cream cheese (4 oz.), 2 tablespoons fresh-grated parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon truffle oil (see notes), and 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar into polenta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and drizzle with more truffle oil to taste.

Per serving: 408 cal., 42% (171 cal.) from fat; 13 g protein; 19 g fat (12 g sat.); 47 g carbo (4.8 g fiber); 360 mg sodium; 51 mg chol.

Polenta Fries with Spicy Tomato Dipping Sauce

PREP AND COOK TIME: 2 hours, plus 1 1/2 hours to chill

MAKES: 4 appetizer servings

NOTES: Chef Ben de Vries, formerly of Andalu in San Francisco, uses a scalloped cookie cutter to make polenta fries in frilly crescent-moon shapes; we've cut the polenta into batons for ease and to avoid waste. Instead of deep-frying, you can oven-fry the polenta: Prepare the recipe through step 2. Pour enough oil into a 10- by 15-inch nonstick baking pan to coat well (use two pans for thin-cut fries); roll strips in oil to coat, then spread them out in pan. Bake in a 450[degrees] oven, turning fries occasionally, until crisp and browned, 35 to 45 minutes. Continue with step 4.

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese Basic polenta (recipe on page 110) or
    oven-baked polenta (recipe follows), optional butter included
    Salt and pepper
    About 1/2 cup all-purpose flour Vegetable oil
    Spicy tomato dipping sauce (recipe follows)

1. Stir cheese into hot basic polenta. Add salt and pepper to taste. Scrape mixture into a buttered 8-inch square baking pan and, with a spatula that has been dipped in water, spread level, 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Chill until very firm, at least 1 1/2 hours and up to 1 day.