Name: Grilled Polenta
Total time: 4 h
Cuisine: ItalianEurope
Ingredients: 2 cups water; ½ teaspoon salt; Pinch baking soda; 1 cup coarse-ground cornmeal; 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Why This Recipe Works

Versatile polenta isn't just eaten as a porridge like our Polenta concia. Grilling slabs of firm polenta is a popular treatment in the Veneto. The challenge is ensuring the polenta maintains a nice creamy consistency while being sturdy enough to hold together during grilling. To do this we reduced the liquid-to-corn ratio for our classic porridge to the minimum amount of liquid needed to hydrate the corn. We cooked the polenta on the stovetop until it was fully hydrated and then stirred in a few tablespoons of oil, which contributed richness and kept the polenta from being sticky. After chilling in an 8 by 8-inch baking pan, the polenta was firm enough to slice into portions. We then grilled it over a hot fire until crispy on the outside but creamy on the inside.

Before You Begin

Use coarse-ground cornmeal with grains the size of couscous in this recipe. If the polenta bubbles or sputters even slightly after the first 10 minutes, the heat is too high and you may need a flame tamer.

Instructions

Grease 8-inch square baking pan, line with parchment paper, and grease parchment. Bring water to boil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in salt and baking soda. Slowly pour cornmeal into water in steady stream while whisking constantly and return to boil. Reduce heat to lowest possible setting, cover, and cook until grains of cornmeal are tender, about 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes. (Polenta should be very thick.) Off heat, whisk in oil and pour polenta into prepared pan, smooth top, and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until polenta is very firm, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.

Run knife around edge of polenta, then flip onto cutting board; discard parchment. Slice polenta into 4 squares and refrigerate until ready to grill.

For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s).

Clean and oil cooking grate, then repeatedly brush grate with well-oiled paper towels until grate is black and glossy, 5 to 10 times. Place polenta on hotter side of grill and cook (covered if using gas) until polenta is lightly charred on first side, 6 to 8 minutes. Using 2 spatulas, gently flip polenta, and continue to cook until lightly charred on second side, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve.