What is polenta made of?

The main ingredient in polenta is ground flint corn that is coarsely ground. It uses broth, milk, and butter as the basics and seasonings can vary.

What's the difference between cornmeal and polenta?

While both cornmeal and polenta are made out of ground corn, polenta has a coarser texture than cornmeal. Traditional polenta is made by stone grinding, and is considered a dish while cornmeal is merely an ingredient. You typically use cornmeal to make things but polenta is made into polenta, a splendid side dish for your dinner.

What does polenta go with?

Polenta goes with so many things from steaks and braised short ribs to creamy chicken dishes. Since it's Italian, you can try it on the side of your Italian dinners instead of making pasta.

Are grits the same as polenta?

Grits are similar to polenta, which is why polenta is often called "Italian grits," but they are not the same. Polenta uses medium to coarse ground flint corn and is flakier in texture than grits. Equally, polenta is also referred to as corn grits.

How do you keep polenta creamy?

The secret in keeping polenta creamy is in stirring it in intervals. You also don't want to overcook it. When you pull it off the heat, it should still be loose. It will thicken once you remove it from the heat. If it thickens too much, gradually add a little more liquid at a time to revive the texture.

Brown Butter Polenta Recipe Without Parmesan

Name: Brown Butter Polenta Recipe Without Parmesan
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 cup organic corn polenta/corn grits; 2 – 2½ cups (seasoned) chicken broth (I used homemade broth but, store-bought works too)!; 2 – 2½ cups coconut milk; 4 tablespoons of butter; 3-4 strings of fresh thyme; 3-4 garlic cloves (grated); 3/4-1 teaspoon salt; 1/3 teaspoon black pepper

Description

This simple brown butter polenta recipe will become your best “home date night” dish! It is a satisfying side dish that is creamy, dreamy, and delightful. It requires only a handful of ingredients: stone-ground polenta, butter, coconut milk, chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Most polenta recipes include parmesan, but this one does not. However, it still provides that luscious texture that makes this dish so revered. The nuttiness of the brown added a fantastic flavor to the overall tastiness of this dish! If you want restaurant-quality meals at home without the hassle of traveling to a restaurant, you are damn sure to enjoy this fantastic meal!

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup organic corn polenta/corn grits
2 – 2½ cups (seasoned) chicken broth (I used homemade broth but, store-bought works too)!
2 – 2½ cups coconut milk
4 tablespoons of butter
3-4 strings of fresh thyme
3-4 garlic cloves (grated)
3/4-1 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon black pepper

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Instructions

Gather the Ingredients. Start, as always, by assembling all the ingredients required in one place.
Prep the Ingredients. Get busy with all the prep tasks – grate the garlic and wash and trim the fresh rosemary.
Brown the Butter. Grab a clean pot, put it on the stove, and add butter, heating slowly to brown. Then, add the grated garlic and fresh thyme, stirring it well.
Make the Polenta. Next, add the chicken broth and coconut milk. Season this with salt and black pepper, then bring to a boil. Once it’s rolling, lower the heat and gently whisk in the polenta. Stir as needed.
Cover and Simmer. The polenta should simmer covered on low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes.
Serve with Your Main Dish & Enjoy! Garnish with some more fresh thyme. You can serve this brown butter polenta with braised short ribs, Marry Me chicken, steak, or anything else.

Notes

When making this recipe, start with 2 cups of broth and 2 cups of coconut milk. Add additional liquid if need be and, depending on your desired consistency.

The polenta will thicken after cooking and resting. If it seems loose at the end of the cooking time, don’t worry. It will thicken up.

If you want your polenta to be loose, add 1/2 cup of broth.

Make it even prettier by adding a little more fresh rosemary as garnish.

Serve it on the side or plate it as a base, as you would with mashed potatoes.

If you want your polenta to be less coarse, you can blend the corn grits/polenta in the blender to be finer before cooking.