What is polenta and what is the difference from cornmeal? NOTHING. I found so many articles explaining this because apparently it’s really confusing. Polenta is the DISH not the INGREDIENT.
A lot of people argue about the “perfect ratio” of liquid to cornmeal. There are people who say 4:1, but for me 5:1 worked the best for us.
We also don’t know why people stick to only one type of liquid. There are 5 cups to work with, so feel free to use more of the available range of liquids. We went with a mix of water and stock.
If you want to plate this all fancy like, don’t wait too long to plate it. Polenta will harden fast and won’t be quite so beautiful when it cools. If you do have extra polenta and it settles, you can cut the hardened polenta into strips and fry them for some polenta fries.
Keep your mushrooms on your polenta, not the floor,
Your favorite alternative chefs, K & T
Creamy Polenta with Mushrooms and Bacon
Ingredients
Polenta
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Mushrooms
- ½ lb. Oyster mushrooms
- 1 tbsp. Olive oil
- ¼ tsp. Garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper
Bacon, cooked
Parsley (to garnish)
Instructions
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Soak cornmeal in water for 2 hours in a large pot.
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After 2 hours, put pot over medium heat and add chicken stock. Let cook for 45 minutes, stir frequently.
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While polenta is cooking, start trimming your mushrooms. Cut stem from the top and then toss with olive oil and seasonings.
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Bake mushrooms at 400 degrees for 40 minutes until nice and crispy. Tip: I baked the bacon on a baking sheet, then put the mushrooms on the same pan to use the bacon fat and it’s better that the pan is already hot when you put the mushrooms on it.
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After your polenta starts to thicken, add salt, garlic powder and butter. Stir until well mixed and plate immediately before polenta starts to harden.
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Top the polenta with your crispy mushrooms, crumbled bacon, and parsley.