How to Make Polenta

Lesson Goals

Polenta is a long-time staple in Italian and European cuisines. Unfortunately, it has a reputation of being bland and very challenging to cook, but this is simply not true. By following just a few simple steps, polenta is actually one of the easiest dishes to prepare.

As a main course, polenta pairs extremely well with hearty ragus and braised dishes. It can also be infused with a variety of flavors and served as a side dish. Polenta also just happens to be very inexpensive, so go ahead and start incorporating this versatile staple into your weekly meal plan.

In this lesson, you will learn just how easy it is to make this delicious and nutritious dish.

At the end of this cooking school lesson, you will be able to:

• define what polenta is
• identify the different types and grinds of cornmeal available
• determine the ratio of liquid to polenta to suit your tastes
• cook lump-free polenta by using the cold or hot method
• identify when polenta has finished cooking
• enhance and flavor polenta

Prerequisites

None