We sell an instant polenta that cooks in 3-5 minutes and saves quite a bit of time, to say nothing of your hands. The texture is a little finer, but the trade off is definately worth it!
12 cups water (keep a separate pot with boiling water in reserve)
1 tablespoon salt
4 cups polenta (coarse or fine)
1 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces shredded fontina cheese
4 ounces imported grated pecorino romano
6 ounces gorgonzola cheese, in smaller pieces
1/4 cube butter
Bring water with salt and olive oil to a rapid boil. Pour in polenta, adding slowly while whisking to prevent lumping. Switch to a wooden spoon with a long handle, reduce heat a little, you want to keep mixture almost boiling, but not so hot that it will pop up and burn your hand. Keep stirring with wooden spoon until polenta is a nice mush, about 20-25 minutes. If you are using the coarse polenta, it may take a little longer and you may have to add some of the boiling water you have in reserve. When polenta tastes cooked, remove from the stove, add cheeses and butter and stir to melt all together. When polenta is done, pour into buttered bowl and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. To serve, invert the bowl on a chopping board or platter and cut into serving slices. Cover it with your preferred sauce and enjoy!
You may also spread the cooked polenta onto a buttered cookie sheet. Once it has cooled, cut into squares. Fry the squares in a little oil, cover with sauce and top with a little cheese. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside!
