The Cooking Liquid You Should Avoid For The Best Polenta

When done well, a bowl of polenta should be thick, comforting, and creamy. But, just like a good risotto, this creaminess should come from your cooking technique rather than the addition of dairy. You've likely seen plenty of recipes that call for cooking your polenta in milk, so why do some chefs advise against it?

While this method is undeniably creamy, it's also heavy and can leave you feeling full of not only corn but also regret. Further, the milk taste can overwhelm the dish. Cooking polenta in water or stock allows you to experience more of the corn flavor that makes this such a perfect dish.

That's not to say that your polenta shouldn't be rich and luxurious, however. The trick is to add these extra flavorings at the end of the cooking process. Butter and grated Parmesan are common, but if you want more of a creamy kick, try stirring in a spoonful of mascarpone. The other advantage of leaving these additions to the end is that you have a more versatile dish. Any leftover plain polenta can be cooled until firm then fried until crisp for a gluten-free alternative to croutons.

For creamy polenta without the dairy, you just need patience. Polenta will only develop the smooth texture when it starches break down, which takes a minimum of 30 minutes and closer to an hour for coarser-grained cornmeal. What can trip many people up is that polenta thickens quite quickly, within around 15 minutes, making it appear cooked. If you stop at this point, you'll have a gritty texture and a distinct lack of creaminess. This is why the ratio of liquid to polenta is also important. Four to five parts water or stock to one part dry polenta might seem like a lot, but this will all be absorbed if you cook it for the right length of time.

If you can't face spending all that time at the stove, there is a shortcut that doesn't involve buying instant polenta. Soaking your polenta in the stock or water for several hours or overnight will cut the cooking time by at least half. Now that you have your creamy but not cloying cornmeal, it's time to dress it for dinner, and it really can be a dish for all seasons. In the colder months, it's comforting with beef ragu or wild mushrooms, but it can be brightened up with lemon zest or topped with a simple cherry tomato sauce for summer.