Fontina Polenta

Polenta is a relative newcomer to the world of Italian cuisine because all corn was imported from the New World. But it’s now a gluten-free staple and can be adapted to many cuisines and times of day. Serve polenta instead of an English muffin as the base for eggs Benedict, or make it American and serve it at breakfast in place of grits.

Makes 4 to 6 servings | Prep time: 10 minutes | Minimum cook time: 3 hours in a medium slow cooker

5 cups Chicken Stock or purchased stock

1 cup half-and-half

1 cup polenta or yellow cornmeal

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup grated Fontina cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Vegetable oil spray

1. Grease the inside of the slow cooker liberally with vegetable oil spray.

2. Combine stock, half-and-half, and polenta in the slow cooker. Whisk well, and cook on High for 11/2 hours, or until mixture begins to boil.

3. Whisk well again, and cook on High for an additional 11/2 hours or on Low for 3 hours or until polenta is very thick.

4. Stir in butter and cheese, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately as a side dish or topped with sauce. The polenta can remain on Warm for up to 4 hours.

Note: The dish can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Reheat it, covered, in a 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until hot.

Variations:

images Add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as sage, rosemary, or thyme at the onset of the cooking time.

images Add 1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms, broken into small pieces and rinsed, to the slow cooker, and stir in 1 tablespoon truffle oil at the end of the cooking time.

images Add 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or oregano to the slow cooker, and reduce the amount of stock to 3 cups.

images Add 1 cup fresh corn kernels or frozen corn, thawed, to the slow cooker when whisking the polenta halfway through the cooking time.

An alternative way to serve polenta is to pack the hot polenta into a well-oiled loaf pan and chill it well. Once chilled you can cut it into 3/4-inch slices and either grill them or saute them in butter or olive oil. You can also spread the polenta in a shallow baking dish to a thickness of 3/4 inch, and then chill the mixture, cut it into long narrow rectangles, and pan-fry them.