Polenta IS Corn
Jul. 28th, 2025 10:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe: Corn and Polenta Bake.
"If you've ever been singed by a rogue splash of molten polenta, you'll be happy to keep the simmering far from your forearms."
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
4 cups stock (I used house-made)
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups polenta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, divided
no garlic (Ha! I used... actually that amount.)
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 oz crumbled blue cheese, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup parsley, coarsely chopped, plus ditto
1/4 cup basil leaves, plus ditto ditto
1 green onion, sliced
Heat oven to 350°. Generously grease a 2-quart casserole dish, or 11x7" baking dish. (I used the latter.) Pour the stock and milk into the dish, then stir in polenta, 1/2 cup Parm, and salt. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Give everything a good stir (don't worry if the mixture looks separated). Continue to bake until the polenta thickens somewhat and comes together, 20-25 minutes longer.
Stir in the corn, tomatoes, blue cheese, parsley, basil, and scallion. Bake 10-15 minutes more until very thick and creamy. Turn the broiler on high. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parm over the surface and scatter on the butter pieces. Broil until the cheese starts to bubble and develop brown spots, 2-4 minutes (watch carefully so it doesn't blacken).
Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Spoon polenta into individual bowls topped with more blue cheese, parsley, and basil.
What worked: I made this for a homeowners' meeting on a typical San Francisco summer evening. It went well with the chilly weather and everyone liked it.
What didn't: I eye-skipped dividing the Parm and stirred it all in at the beginning, so there wasn't really anything to brown when I put it under the broiler. I am not convinced I actually got the broiler on in any case, but it was even harder to tell without cheese to brown.
Will I make it again? Yes, this will go into the cold-weather rotation. I'd add garlic of course, and perhaps some additional arugula in at the blue cheese stage for more greens. Topping it with a bit of crumbled bacon slices would make this even better.
"If you've ever been singed by a rogue splash of molten polenta, you'll be happy to keep the simmering far from your forearms."
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces
4 cups stock (I used house-made)
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups polenta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, divided
no garlic (Ha! I used... actually that amount.)
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 oz crumbled blue cheese, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup parsley, coarsely chopped, plus ditto
1/4 cup basil leaves, plus ditto ditto
1 green onion, sliced
Heat oven to 350°. Generously grease a 2-quart casserole dish, or 11x7" baking dish. (I used the latter.) Pour the stock and milk into the dish, then stir in polenta, 1/2 cup Parm, and salt. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Give everything a good stir (don't worry if the mixture looks separated). Continue to bake until the polenta thickens somewhat and comes together, 20-25 minutes longer.
Stir in the corn, tomatoes, blue cheese, parsley, basil, and scallion. Bake 10-15 minutes more until very thick and creamy. Turn the broiler on high. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parm over the surface and scatter on the butter pieces. Broil until the cheese starts to bubble and develop brown spots, 2-4 minutes (watch carefully so it doesn't blacken).
Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Spoon polenta into individual bowls topped with more blue cheese, parsley, and basil.
What worked: I made this for a homeowners' meeting on a typical San Francisco summer evening. It went well with the chilly weather and everyone liked it.
What didn't: I eye-skipped dividing the Parm and stirred it all in at the beginning, so there wasn't really anything to brown when I put it under the broiler. I am not convinced I actually got the broiler on in any case, but it was even harder to tell without cheese to brown.
Will I make it again? Yes, this will go into the cold-weather rotation. I'd add garlic of course, and perhaps some additional arugula in at the blue cheese stage for more greens. Topping it with a bit of crumbled bacon slices would make this even better.
