please tell me the secrets of how to make REALLY GOOD polenta

[cremolafoam]

When i had it in Italy it tasted SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO nice that I dream about it.
how do I make it without it turning into rubber yoga matting?
how much parmesan should i put in it?

The polenta I had in Italy had slighlty crusty edges and was soft & gooey in the middle.
Help!(aiuto per favore )

bump this for you cos i would love to know

oooh, sounds yummy, bumping this because i want to know too.

Message withdrawn

Well the real stuff is stirred for literally hours whilst it is cooking. There is a special pot gadget thingy for it if you don't have a ancient nona to do it.
I suspect that to make it taste nice you have to introduce an obscene amount of butter and cheese.

Agree you need to stir for ages. When my mum makes polenta my dad has to help as it needs to be stirred constantly for up to an hour so he has to do a lot of the stirring. As he loves it so much he helps !!.

This is really hard work and makes for a very good workout on the arm.

tbh I've never made it myself as lovely as it is I really can't be bothered with the work involved ()

The ready stuff or easy mix stuff is really not the same though I do eat that too.

Also ditto the large quantities of buuter/cheese and/or good quality rabbit or wild boar stew that really finish the dish off perfectly.

ROFL re 'placenta'
thanks for help- i would agree that there is probably large quantitites of butter in it- that is also interesting about the stirring. I didn't realise that you had to stand there for ages- but i expect that might be what makes the difference. On a low heat or bubbling like Vesuvius do you think?

Must pop out and get a wild boar

If it gets too rubbery, slice it and fry it (add an egg too). Or slice it, and put it in the oven with lots of different cheeses (I favour blue cheese or gorgonzola) and grated parmigiano. Viene buonissima!

I once had it in Venice served with a light broth of tiny game birds from the lagoon. Cooked and served by a huge handsome chef who could cut the top of champagne bottles off with a sword and played French horn in the Ventian Philharmonic. It was quite honestly one of the best meals I have ever had and naturally I bedded him that night as we drank the best part of a bottle of Irish whisky, Ahhh memories.

Buy the instant stuff. It only takes 3 minutes and is delicious.

DH (Chef and Italian!) says

Boiling salted water. Add polenta. Cook and keep stirring. Add seasoning. Touch of parmesan. Touch of extra virgin olive oil.

Serve with gorgonzola cheese in the middle and it will melt and is to die for.

Serve with anything.

Done!!

In Italy it is mainly served with stews of venison, horse, beef or roasted rabbit and fresh herbs.

thanks franca- i think the one i had in italy had been fried- it was slightly golden and served with delicious sausages and parmesan

do you put the cheese on top and grill it - like cheese on toast?

am pmsl at your french horn player Carmenere - there's an old orchestral joke about them...

Ohh do tell??

carmenere- you live a very exotic life- was it the polenta or the sword that did it for you?

collision- yes i think that's what i bought
was planning to have it with venison steaks (local delicacy)

Actually he is just a really impressive person and he persued me accross the continent but I wasn't having any of it because I sensed him to be a big time player. In was right of course and now we are still friends although I have always wondered what might have been(if he was able to keep his zip shut).........

Don't say I didn't warn you...

A nubile young flautist once joined an orchestra in the hope of meeting nice men.
The most handsome man there was the smooth trumpet player, so she inviegled her way into his affections and they went out on a date.
She turned up at the next rehearsal very unimpressed. What was wrong, asked her friends? Oh, he was a terrible kisser, she said, that tight, dry, puckered-up embrochure - awful!

So her friends consoled her and suggest she go for the macho tuba player, and she duly goes out to dinner with him.
Returns equally unimpressed. What was wrong, ask her friends? Oh, he was an even worse kisser, she said - those flobbery, slobbery lips - revolting!

One of her friends suggests the French horn player. No way, she said, he's shorter than me and nothing to look at. Go on, urges the friend, what have you got to lose?
So off she goes, and comes to the next rehearsal with a great big grin.
What happened? they say.
The flautist smiles enigmatically. 'Well, he may not be much to look at, and he wasn't an awfully good kisser, but my goodness, the way he held me!'

LOL

One layer of polenta slices, cheese, another layer of polenta, then cheese (maybe some butter), sprinkle some grated parmesan, put in the oven, for half an hour or until the cheese is melted and then grill it for 5 mins.
hmmmm now I'm hungry. you could even add some ham or thin bacon slices.........

franca that sounds divine although am having doubts about venison amd cheese on the same plate
thanks for all tips so far
also for the horn player story ROFL HERE!!!