Grilled Polenta with Herbs

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •8-inch square baking dish or 9x5 loaf pan
• •Heavy-bottomed pot (3-quart minimum)
• •Outdoor grill or cast iron grill pan
• •Thin metal spatula for flipping

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the pan

   Line an 8-inch square baking dish or a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides. Brush lightly with olive oil. This is your mold. The polenta will set here overnight and slide out easily in the morning.

2. 2

   Toast the polenta

   Pour the dry polenta into a heavy-bottomed pot and set it over medium heat. Stir constantly for two to three minutes until it smells nutty and warm, like corn roasting. This step wakes up the grain and deepens the flavor before you add any liquid.

   Do not skip the toasting. It transforms the polenta from bland to alive.
3. 3

   Add water carefully

   Remove the pot from heat. Add the water in a slow stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. The mixture will sputter and steam. Add the salt. Return to medium-low heat and stir well, scraping the bottom and corners where polenta likes to hide and scorch.

4. 4

   Cook low and slow

   Let the polenta simmer gently for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring every few minutes. The heat should be low enough that lazy bubbles rise to the surface and pop, not a vigorous boil. The polenta is done when it pulls away from the sides of the pot and feels creamy, not gritty, on your tongue.

   Stone-ground polenta takes longer than instant. Do not rush it. The texture depends on this patience.
5. 5

   Finish with richness

   Remove from heat. Stir in the butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano until melted and incorporated. Taste. Adjust salt. The polenta should taste like sweet corn, butter, and good cheese.

6. 6

   Pour and set

   Pour the hot polenta into your prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula dipped in water. Let it cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least four hours. The polenta will firm into a solid block you can slice.

7. 7

   Prepare the herbs

   Strip the rosemary and thyme leaves from their stems. Leave the sage leaves whole. Have them ready beside your cutting board. The herbs should look alive, not wilted. If they have lost their aliveness, find better ones.

8. 8

   Slice the polenta

   Lift the chilled polenta from the pan using the parchment overhang. Slice into pieces about 3/4-inch thick. Squares, rectangles, or triangles all work. The shape matters less than the thickness: too thin and they fall apart on the grill, too thick and the center stays cold.

9. 9

   Press in the herbs

   Brush both sides of each polenta slice with olive oil. Press the herb leaves firmly into one side of each piece, embedding them into the soft surface. They should stick. Use a combination of rosemary, thyme, and sage on each slice.

10. 10

    Heat the grill

    Heat your grill to medium-high, around 400F. Clean the grates well and oil them lightly. A grill pan on the stovetop works if you do not have an outdoor grill. The surface must be hot enough to sear but not so hot that the herbs burn before the polenta chars.

    A cast iron grill pan produces beautiful char marks and works year-round.
11. 11

    Grill herb-side down first

    Place the polenta slices herb-side down on the hot grill. Do not move them for three to four minutes. The herbs will sizzle and become fragrant. Char marks will form. When the bottom releases easily and shows dark grill lines, flip carefully with a thin spatula.

12. 12

    Finish and serve

    Grill the second side for another three minutes until charred and heated through. The polenta should be crisp on the outside and creamy within. Transfer to a warm platter. Drizzle with your best olive oil, a few cracks of black pepper, and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve immediately.

Chef Tips

• •Look for stone-ground polenta from a mill that lists the corn variety. Heirloom varieties like Floriani Red or Otto File have depth that commodity corn cannot match.
• •The overnight rest is not optional. It allows the starches to set and the flavors to deepen. Fresh polenta will not hold together on the grill.
• •Save your best olive oil for the finish. A grassy, peppery oil from the new harvest makes the grilled polenta sing.
• •In winter, when fresh herbs are scarce, dried rosemary pressed into the surface works. But seek out a greenhouse grower at the winter market if you can. The aliveness matters.

Advance Preparation

• •The polenta must be made at least 4 hours ahead, preferably overnight. This is built into the recipe.
• •Chilled polenta keeps refrigerated for up to 5 days before grilling. Keep it wrapped tightly.
• •Slice and press herbs into the polenta up to 2 hours before grilling. Keep covered at room temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 140g)