If you don’t have time to nixtamalize corn, pick up a bag of dry polenta like Bob’s Red Mill Grits/Polenta (please don’t ever use the tubes) and boil some water. Here’s my basic recipe.
Serves 4
4 cups water
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup polenta (Bob’s Red Mill)
1–2 tablespoons butter, optional
1–2 tablespoons olive oil, optional
Bring water to boil, add sea salt and polenta. Simmer over mediumlow heat about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and partially covering with a lid to keep down the splatters. Once cooked, add in a tablespoon or two of butter or olive oil, or a little of each to finish. Let sit, covered, 10 minutes if you have the time.
Serve polenta with a poached egg and spinach, shrimp and grits, an assortment of roasted vegetables, short ribs, or mushroom ragout—just about anything is better with polenta!
