Polenta for One
 

So I picked up a box of quick cook polenta. I of course did not read the box directions, so when I looked later, it tells me to use 3 quarts of water and I think it was 12 ounces or something like that of polenta.

I just want to make one or two servings. I don't even know that I will like much of it, I have no room in the refrigerator to store it, and even if I did live with it for left overs I probably wouldn't have a chance to eat them again for several days.

Is there such a thing as an easy proportion for cooking a creamy style quick cook polenta? I am not looking for gourmet taste here, I can live with lumps and a "non-toased corn" flavor.

Thanks!

Absolutely. Four parts water, one part polenta. And if you add the polenta before cooking and stir continuously, you won't get lumps! Use an oven mitt, though--even if you turn the heat down, you're unlikely to avoid molten polenta spatter.

Stir in butter and Parmesan to taste, and enjoy.

As with grits and steel cut oats, 4 to 1 (and don't forget a bit of salt). Polenta, mamaglia, corn-meal mush (a once popular and still appealing US version usaually served sweetened), and grits need the lowest possible heat and steady stirring (best with a wood/bamboo utensil). "Quick Cook" labeling indicates some level of pre-cooking by the processor, not nearly as bad as "Instant" to be avoided at all costs. Stone-ground meals and "Scotch" oats need a longer cooking time and a lesser amount of water. I start with 3 to 1, but keep some boiling water on hand, often needing to add a little (always boiling!) to achieve optimal consistency. Products with the same name can vary substantially in absorption.

I guess math is not your strong suit? :p Why not just divide the box and make, say, two ounces with two cups of water? I know you'd have to approximate the proportion of polenta, but I think that you could start cooking and add a bit more water or polenta along the way if necessary.

I love polenta, especially as a side dish at a steakhouse.

I buy it in bulk and simply make what I need at any given time. "Leftover" polenta is one of the worst things in the world, so I prefer to only make what's likely to be eaten at one sitting.

You may be missing one of the more appealing approaches to "leftover" polenta. Pack it in a greased loaf pan. Chill well, and it will turn out as a loaf. Slice and saute in a little olive oil, then top with a Ragu or Italian sauce of your choice.

^

Just microwave it. Start out w/2 mins, take it out and whisk, then 1 min at a time repeat the whisking until is sets up. Put in the cheese, butter, pesto, etc the last min. Takes about 5 or 6 mins in my micro.

...you spelled it slightly wrong.....but Romanians forgive........^

http://virtualromania.org/recipes/mamaliga/

Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa....

"Double Ms" would be rare in Romanian, as bad as 2 Ms in Yo' Mama. But then, I'm so old as to spell the place and language with a "U", and to have marveled at the existence and survival of a latin-based language in far Dacia, overrun with Slavs, Turks, Greeks, and occasional nomadic incursions for sheep and daughter replenishment.

It's still good stuff, but completely unlike what folks must have eaten before "corn" made its appearance in European fields and tables, just as "Corn Meal Mush" was really a "Yankee" dish, not Southern, where temperature and humidity made storing ground cornmeal for an extended period tough, thus the advent of "grits", the son of hominy.

Thanks for the tip. Maybe it's one of those things that tastes better than it sounds. :eek:

This is also fantastic with a little sauce made out of sauteed mushrooms/herbs - rosemary is great, but anything you have on hand will do. Saute mushrooms in butter with shallots if you have some, when about done add herbs and some white wine (or stock) and reduce.

I agree about left over polenta being fantastic.

I make single servings all the time (1 cup of water, 4 generous tablespoons of polenta, pinch of salt) and let it go cold just so I can use it to make delicious, crispy polenta chips.

As I have a Philips Airfryer I don't even have to use any oil (although I do often give the cold polenta a brush with a spoon or so of olive oil). You should be able to do the same thing in a very hot oven.

As far as I'm concerned, it's a healthy low fat snack that tastes as indulgent and satisfying as any number of fatty, grease ridden alternatives. Most importantly, my toddler loves 'polenta chippies'.

With some slim eggplants I can make babaganoush using the Airfryer within 20/25 minutes. This goes with the polenta chips beautifully.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7115/7...4d18f065_m.jpg
Here's a completely fat free version of the polenta chips (really crispy!) and babaganoush I've made.

I thought his thread was going to be about the difficulties of ordering freshly made polenta for one person at a restaurant (sometimes there's a minimum order number for dishes that take time to cook)

My friend Silvia, renowned for her ossobuco skills, has quit
making traditional polenta having discovered that the
microwave method yields just as good results in no time flat.

Also: leftover polenta does fry well and pairs with all sorts
of liquidy things, sweet and savory. One of the most
memorable breakfasts I've ever eaten was at the Benn
Conger Inn, where unsatisfied with the regular breakfast
offerings I was given some slabs of fried polenta soaked
in venison ragu.