Grilled Polenta Wedges

Polenta is supposedly a popular Southern dish. It is also a favorite in Italy. I first discovered it in Connecticut! I was visiting a friend there last weekend, which was possibly the hottest weekend of the whole summer. Cooking in my small apartment featuring sorry half-size windows and no air conditioning is unbearable in this heat, so it was the perfect weekend to be with a friend who has an outdoor grill (and an indoor air conditioner).

I have certainly fallen in love with polenta. It is so simply to prepare with the main ingredient being water and corn grits. Polenta is actually cooked first on the stove top, but heated the wedges on the grill to give it an extra smoky flavor. With fish and grilled vegetables on the side, this polenta completed a perfect summer meal. Plus, polenta is gluten-free, so it can be enjoyed by everyone!

• 3 cups water
• 1 cups polenta (corn grits)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in polenta and salt. Simmer gently over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes, or until thickened. Pour thickened polenta into a loaf pan. Allow to set for 10 minutes. Cut into 1 inch slices. Serve immediately, or place on grill to reheat.
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Polenta cooks pretty violently. It boils rapidly and then starts popping and splashing out of the pan. Be careful when you are stirring during the cooking process. According to the package directions of Bob's Red Mill Corn Grits (which is a the brand everyone recommends), you should a long wooden spoon to stir during cooking just in case! The recipe also says it takes about 30 minutes for the polenta to thicken, but you should use your own judgment. When I prepared it with my friends in Connecticut, it thickened enough so that when we scraped the bottom of the pan with the spoon, the polenta didn’t fall back to the center after just 10 minutes. When I prepared it at home, it took only 15 minutes or so to thicken. I picked up my own stock of corn grits the day after I returned from Connecticut, and I was really surprised that polenta is relatively inexpensive. It can be served plain, but also topped with pasta sauce and cheese for an Italian twist. You can also prepare polenta as a breakfast porridge! Considering it is such an easy and versatile dish, I am certain it is going to become one of our favorite dishes of all time.