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How to make Polenta?

Basic Polenta Recipes

Before telling you how to make polenta for a family of three or four, using this easy recipe, I want to explain a few things about Slovenian polenta.

What is Slovenian Polenta?

Traditionally polenta is a slowly cooked dish, it can take an hour or more to prepare while constantly stirring. This takes a lot of time and labor, so the traditional methods of preparation receive many shortcut-cooking methods.

Traditionally, those in the Slovenian Littoral enjoyed it, in central and eastern Slovenia buckwheat often replaced cornmeal.

How to Make Polenta the traditional way?

These are the ingredients you will need to make a typical Slovenian polenta:

500-grams of coarsely ground cornmeal
2-liters or approximately 2-quarts of boiling water
1-teaspoon salt

Directions:
In a wide bottomed pot, you will add the water and salt and then place it on the fire. After coming to a boil, you will add the cornmeal in a very slow stream to avoid reducing the boiling point.

While you do this, you will stir constantly using a wooden spoon to eliminate the forming of lumps. The polenta will be smooth and creamy in texture after boiling, because of the gelatinization of starch in the grain.

Continue stirring in the same direction for approximately 30 minutes or more. The mush will thicken. The longer you stir the better the polenta.

Finished polenta will have the consistency of firm mashed potatoes. Add boiling water when necessary. You will know it is done when it peels off the side of the pot easily.

How to make polenta without exact Cooking Time

Polenta is flexible and forgiving. Since the qualities of cornmeal will vary considerably, there is no means of determining an exact cooking time. However, you can prepare polenta in 30 minutes or less to be table ready.

The tenderness and freshness of the polenta is determined by various factors. These include the size of the grain, whether it is fine or course. The moisture content as well as the storage measures and container also play a part in the length of time to tenderize to polenta. The degree of heat influences the results.

Since liquid evaporates more quickly and is well absorbed at high heat, you will need to add more water and cook it longer. If you add more water than is needful, the water evaporates slowly increasing cooking time.

Buy Instant Polenta

As promised, here is your quick tip for speeding up the cooking process. Instant polenta is a popular product in Slovenia. It offers you a quick and easy cooking time.

Difference between Polenta and Žganci

In Slovenia, there is a difference between Polenta and Žganci and you should know what they are. Those from the region of Gorenjska always know the difference between these two.

As already mentioned, polenta has a base of coarsely ground cornmeal. It does not matter, whether its consistency is thin or thick; all the cooking water is absorbed into the cornmeal.

Alternately, Žganci has a base of finely ground cornmeal or buckwheat meal. It builds into a lump while cooking and the water is poured off the remainder.

Gorenjska Polenta and Žganci are two very different dishes in Slovenia. The look, and taste very different and Žganci are often served with sour milk.

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