Lidia Bastianich’s Polenta

Name: Lidia Bastianich's Polenta
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: 1 tbsp. coarse salt; 2 fresh bay leaves; 7 cups cold water; 1 2 ⁄ 3 cups coarse yellow cornmeal; 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Serves
serves 6

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Published on October 24, 2000

To accompany her Adriatic Eel Stew, Bastianich serves polenta either right from the pot, scooped out in hot, soft mounds onto the plate, or poured onto a wooden paddle, cooled, and cut into sections with taut string.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. coarse salt
2 fresh bay leaves
7 cups cold water
1 ²⁄₃ cups coarse yellow cornmeal
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

Step 1

Put coarse salt and bay leaves into cold water in a heavy medium pot. Stir in coarse yellow cornmeal. (Adding cornmeal to cold water helps keep polenta free of lumps.) Bring to a boil over high heat, add extra-virgin olive oil, then reduce heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until polenta thickens and pulls away from the bottom and sides of the pot, 30-40 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove and discard bay leaves.