Premade Polenta Questions

[JonH]

I bought a package of the tube shaped polenta that is premade. I was thinking of using it during the cocktail portion of an Italian themed meal. I have never tried it before, but figured I could cut and pan fry it, then place some sort of topping on it. Has anyone tried this stuff and if so, is it worth serving. Assuming it is worth serving, does anyone have any suggestions on what I can top it with? Thanks.

[sheilal]

Epcurious has a polenta tamale pie recipe that calls for tubed polenta. And it's actually very tasty. Nothing groundbreaking here, but it's very satisfying and easy.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/rec...

[sheilal]

whoops, just noticed the old original posting date. I guess my 2 cents won't really help JonH now. ;)

[rinnie]

where did you but your premade polenta? better yet does anyone have an email adress where i can order it online???

[paulj]

Why is homemade so much better or more flavorful than the premade? Are we talking about plain homemade, or homemade with lots of added olive oil, grated cheese, etc?

I haven't tried anything fancy with the premade. Usually I just slice it and saute to develop a nice crust on each side. Then serve as a side to a meat stew or other dish.

If I make polenta from scratch, it is likely to well flavored, and wet enough to be spooned on to the plate. Making polenta from scratch, cooling it, and then baking or frying it would require more work and planning. I'd rather put that work into preparing a rich meat dish.

paulj

[JonH]

This is what I am thining as well. I plan on making osso buco with risotto as my main course, orecchiette with puttanesca sauce for the pasta course, something very light to begin with, and simple things to serve with cocktails, like sausages, various cheeses, and potentially the polenta. Any other suggestions? Thanks to everyone so far.

[ChefGirl412]

Hate that stuff; homemade so much better.

[toodie jane]

it really has little of the flavor of homemade, but I agree the best way is to use it to carry something else with strong flavors. Garlic, cheese, etc.

It's really not hard or time consuming to make. Try it when you're not under the gun. Nuke at a 3:1 ratio with water in a pyrex measuring cup and it takes about 10 minutes. I finish it with salt, butter (or mascarpone if I've got it) and some garlic and parm. M-m-m-m good.

Use it spooned right out of the pot as a side, or spread onto a cookie sheet into a rectangle as thick as you like for later grilling once it congeals and cools. It's easy to handle. If grilling plain, make it about 1" thick. If using it for a lasagne-type casserole, layered with sauce and cheese, spread it about 5/8" thick.

One of our favorite mains to serve the soft version with is stewed lamb shanks, a match made in heaven.

[Val]

Yes, I made some last night for a meatless black bean & polenta main dish and used some adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in the polenta...gave it a nicer taste for this dish. It's very versatile.

[JRL]

Mushroom ragout made without tomatoes is an excellent topping

[Jacey]

I've used it and it's pretty good if you jazz it up. What I do is pan fry it and then put it in the oven for a bit with tomato sauce and cheese over it.

[Val]

Homemade is so easy and far better but since you already have your store bought and I think it's terrible to just throw it away, here's a suggestion to start you off from Epicurious for Polenta with Gorgonzola, really tasty combination:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/rec...

I would just slice it into rounds and toast them, then add the toppings as described. Goat cheese is nicely paired with polenta, too, in my opinion.