easy {no stir} oven polenta

I have a complicated history with polenta. For years I couldn’t really figure out what all the fuss was about. It was ok, but nothing that I craved. Until I discovered that what I had been making for years had nothing at all to do with real polenta.

I had been buying my polenta at the supermarket and it was beyond easy to make since it was more or less instant. Precooked, all you needed to do was stir it slowly into boiling water, cook it for a minute or two, and that was it. It didn’t taste bad. But it just didn’t have much taste at all, unless I added a good quantity of butter and/or cheese. Which makes everything better. I kind of thought of it as a savory version of the Cream of Wheat I’d grown up with.

My polenta epiphany came at one of my first trips to the Salone del Gusto. I was wandering around with my friend Ari, and we stopped by the Mulino Marino booth. They actually had a small kitchen set up, and we were invited to sit down to try some of their polenta. Which tasted like nothing I’d ever had before. It sounds stupid to admit it, but I didn’t realize up till then that polenta could actually taste like the corn it’s made from.

I finally understood what all the fuss was about. Not just the fuss about how good it tastes, but all the fuss people make about it being such a pain in the neck to cook. Because when you use the real stuff – like that by Mulino Marino – it can take at the very least an hour to cook. So even though I’d think about making polenta quite often, the times I actually decided to make it were few and far between. The idea of standing in the kitchen, tending a pot for an hour or more was tiring just to think about.

A year ago things got a bit easier when I discovered a method for no-stir polenta. Which definitely made things less stressful, since in theory you could just walk away and let the pot simmer. But really, who ever walks away from a pot on the top of the stove? I never could leave it alone, and so it was still a bit of work, if only the anxious (and really unnecessary) worrying about the bottom burning

But today, I am happy to report I have completely resolved my polenta issues with a newly discovered, completely foolproof way to make polenta in the oven. I know this method has been around for a while, but it took me a long time to find it. Which is why I want to share it with you.

The only real problem with this method is that it’s almost too easy. We have been eating a lot of polenta recently. At least once a week, not counting leftovers.

So now I have a new set of issues to deal with because I don’t think weekly polenta parties are doing anything for my run up to summer swimsuit weather.

easy oven polenta
(serves 2 with a bit leftover)
1 cup polenta*
1 liter/quart cold water
1 tsp salt

*This recipe calls for real polenta, not instant. Please make an effort to search out good polenta. Mulino Marino is my gold standard. They grown their own corn and mill the kernels with the germ left in. This not only makes it incredibly flavorful, it also makes it a perishible. So if you do buy it, make sure you store it correctly. Either in a tightly sealed jar or – as I do – in the freezer.

Preheat oven to 380F/ 190C

Pour the cold water into a pyrex dish, about 10×10. Add 1 tsp of salt and stir. Add the polenta and stir with a whisk, to eliminate any lumps. Place in the oven, uncovered. After about 45 minutes, give it a stir. You’ll notice the top may start to get a bit dry looking, but don’t worry. If it seems like it is getting too dried out you can add a bit more water, stirring to combine. Let it continue cooking until done. Your pack of polenta should have some indication of how long this should take, as it depends on the grind of the grain. When it is done take it out and you can stir in butter and/or grated cheese.

You can also turn down the oven to keep the polenta warm until you are ready to serve it.

It’s the perfect thing to serve with meats or stews. The photographs above and below are Rabbit Paprikash and Wild Boar Stew. But since it’s become such a staple lately, I’ve been using it as a base for roasted vegetables at least once a week this past winter.

If you have leftovers, spoon them out onto a wooden board while still hot, to make an inch thick sheet. As it cools, it will firm up, and you can slice it to use later on. I love it topped with an egg for breakfast or as made into little crostini for appetizers.

You can order Mulino Marino polenta from Zingermans, or else pick up a bag from Eataly.