Travelling On

apple_muncher

I think that polenta cooking is very straightforward.

We're off for a walk this morning. It's frosty but hopefully not ankle-breaking slippery...

Karmacat

Hi apple!  Just had a polenta-based lunch - I've never ever cooked it, so completely new to me, and a tick on my big list, so woo-hoo to that!  Frankly, it's a lot more fuss than chucking a portion of pasta in a pan, or even cooking rice and lentils together.  I used a Jamie Oliver recipe - 400ml stock, 150g quick cook polenta, mix it while cooking for a few minutes, let it rest in another bowl in the fridge for a while, shape into chips on another flat surface, 30 min at 220.  I didn't turf it out of the pan to rest, left it there - it became more like a little birds nest, I didn't have a baking tray available.  Could have done with slightly longer, at a very slightly lower heat.  Also a little bit more water - maybe up to 420ml.

Obviously, it took ages the first time - maybe I'll try again tomorrow, try another two portions, we'll see. In any case,  I need to use up what I've got

apple_muncher

Wow! Good effort! I think I just cooked it with water then had a tomato based sauce on top!

Karmacat

That's interesting!  So how long did you cook it for, can you remember?  Do you use it regularly?  Sorry for the questions!

rtandon27

Karmacat said:

...The other thing I could do is learn how to cook polenta ... I have a couple of kg sitting here, using it would be nice...

KC - could I suggest cornbread - either in muffin form or square cake pan cut into smaller squares...
Hot & slathered with butter - truly  yum!

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, I've never cooked polenta either! Is it kind of like a pease pudding texture? Sounds like it might be if you don't then bake it in the oven as well? 

Karmacat

Thanks for that, RT - I'll give that a go.  Cheery, the stuff I did this afternoon, it looked like stiff, quite short pastry that needed to be rolled out.  It's hilarious that I can write that sentence Aha, just found quite a good sounding recipe, "fluffy cornbread" Fuffy cornbread recipe - All recipes UK  that works.

What I *do* notice is that all these recipes are very profligate with the amount of washing up that's needed afterwards For the above one, for instance, its 2 bowls and the tray that goes in the oven.  I can cut that down by baking in the morning, maybe for my lunch, and then I can use the everyday pan as a mixing bowl.  Even though my dw takes care of it all, I hate creating washing up!

rtandon27

For Thanksgiving (in October - lol) I made this recipe using italian polenta - the recipe makes a small batch, but I'm sure if you doubled it, you could store in the freezer and then zap one or two as needed?
It was one bowl, one wooden spoon and one muffin tray - so not much washing up!

apple_muncher

I think that I just cooked it in a saucepan... I'm very averse to washing up!!!

Karmacat

RT, thats excellent - dry ingredients can be mixed in the weighing bowl, no washing up there.  And vinegar named as a sub for buttermilk (bicarb activation ...) really good, ta muchly.
Apple - I think I did it like that a few years ago, this isn't the first time I've tried to use polenta (most successful though!).  It was a mess, frankly, I had to throw it out

Very cold in the house today, but there's no frost on the rec ground outside, very odd.  I was going to continue the polenta experiment today, but I had a *lot* of fat yesterday, my digestive system is objecting, so I'll wait a few days - a cup of coffee is essential right now, and I'll figure out which of the list I need to do.  Time on here first