INGREDIENTS

Serves 6 | Cooking Time: 1 Hour

The key to this cucina povera staple, as any Italian nonna will resolutely confirm, is in the cooking–or better yet, in the stirring. As this starchy staple takes a good hour on the hob, you may want to skip the gym and reserve your energy for a hardcore arm workout on polenta days.

2 liters of water - 1 tablespoon salt - A generous glug of extra virgin olive oil - Medium or coarsely ground cornmeal: 600g for a thick consistency, 500g for a softer consistency, or 400g for a very soft consistency

PREPARATION

1. Bring water to a boil.
2. Add in the salt, pour in the cornmeal, then the oil, and stir until the mixture thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes. Cook for about an hour–or until desired consistency has been achieved–stirring vigorously about every 10 minutes or so. (If the polenta becomes too thick, you can always loosen it up with a bit of water. Serve warm.

Thanks to Siena Hicks and Italy Segreta for this recipe.

DISCOVER OUR RECIPES