If you’re bored with pasta and rice why not try Italy’s other favourite carb polenta? It doesn’t have much flavour on its own so you need to add a fair bit of butter and parmesan to it to turn it into a delectable, sloppy, cheesy goo. In Italy they call it wet polenta which doesn’t sound very appetising. But believe me, it is, particularly with a beef or mushroom stew.
Serves 4-6
About 20 minutes
About 60p a head
1 litre of vegetable stock made with 1 tbsp vegetable bouillon powder or a vegetable stock cube
175g good quality Italian polenta (look out for it in Italian delis like Carluccio’s)
50-75g butter at room temperature
30-40g freshly grated parmesan (that’s quite a lot. Parmesan is light)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring l litre of stock to the boil in a big (preferably non-stick) saucepan then reduce to a simmer. Tip the polenta into a jug then gradually add it to the simmering stock, whisking all the time (a wire balloon whisk like the one in the photo is ideal for this). Continue stirring until it begins to thicken then turn the heat right down and cook for about 15-20 minutes until thick, stirring it every couple of minutes. Add the butter bit by bit, then add cheese to taste. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
* If you want to have leftovers add slightly less butter and cheese and spread some of the polenta in a thick layer on an oiled baking tray. Once it cools you can cut it into strips or other shapes which you can brush with oil and grill or cook on a ridged grill pan. Good with grilled or roast veggies.
