Polenta (Cornmeal or Cornflour)

Area88 · 09-10-2013, 12:37

I've been looking for gluten free alternatives and trying anything and everything. So far, Polenta has been the tastiest and most versatile food I have tried.

Real Polenta is 100% cornmeal. I bought 375g box for £1.39 from Waitrose. Watch out for ready made versions at Tesco or Sainsbury's. They are only 17% Corn (maize) and the rest is water.

The silly thing is real Polenta is even faster than normal porridge oats, a staple that also has gluten in it.

Click Here for a Picture of Polenta

Anyway just making people more aware. Apparently you can make pancakes, cakes, bread, practically anything as you just replace the wheat flour with corn flour.

Nutrient profile - select 100g to see how healthy it is

What are the Benefits of eating Cornmeal?

Anyone else tried this? It's a staple in Italy and it's quite popular in the USA. If anyone else has any great alternatives, please post here.

Bunny82 · 09-10-2013, 14:47

Is it the same as cornmeal? I've never taken the time to find out.

If it is I got a big bag (1.5kg I think) to make cornbread from Asda for £1.

ETA - just seen it is cornmeal by a different name!

Abriel · 09-10-2013, 16:17

we love polenta and have it with a tomato and ham or creme fraiche and mushroom sauce. you can also use it as an alternative to breadcrumbs or roll meatballs in it for a bit of texture.

agree the ready made stuff isn't too good

degsyhufc · 09-10-2013, 17:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Area88

The silly thing is real Polenta is even faster than normal porridge oats, a staple that also has gluten in it.

Not sure about that. How long does it take you to cook porridge oats?
Polenta can take over 30 minutes and it needs continous stirring, unless you have the quick cook variety.

I don't think i've ever heard a chef recommend quick cook polenta.

Area88 · 09-10-2013, 20:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by degsyhufc

Not sure about that. How long does it take you to cook porridge oats?
Polenta can take over 30 minutes and it needs continous stirring, unless you have the quick cook variety.

On the back of my Polenta box, it says bring to the boil and cook for 8 minutes. Mine is precooked. Is yours a different variety?

Porridge only takes me couple of minutes because I use rolled oats with water. I bring it to the boil and cook it very quickly with just the right amount of water for consistency. I stopped eating oats though because of the gluten.

degsyhufc · 09-10-2013, 21:10

I bought one of the bigish bags from the world food aisle in my local Tesco. It was probably East End. It does say Polenta on the pack below Cornmeal.

It's not precooked AFAIK so making polenta from scratch will take time & effort.

Quote:

There are three different types of polenta sold in supermarkets and delis. Traditional polenta takes around 40 minutes to cook, and it does need to be stirred while it's on the stove.

Supermarkets sell instant polenta, which can be brought to the table, piping hot, in less than 10 minutes.

If all this seems too much like hard work, check out the ready-to-use pre-cooked variety. It's sold in good delis as a slab or a roll

http://uktv.co.uk/food/ingredient/aid/508810

Chef Theo Randall recommends Polenta Bramata / Conmeal Coarse Ground. I've heard him say several times on telly never to use quick cook but he is kind of a snob for Italian food.

Just looked up a Carluccio recipe and it says to use quick cook. It would be interesting to know whether he really would use it being an Italian purist.

degsyhufc · 09-10-2013, 21:10

Quote:

Polenta bramata or coarse cornmeal is the most common and versatile Italian polenta. It is a rustic, stone-milled, moderately coarse corn flour, and is boiled and cooked with butter for a classic Italian side dish. In traditional Italian cuisine, polenta is eaten with a knob of butter and stracchino cheese. Polenta bramata can also be used as a bed for meat, fish or mushrooms. Try coating fish and potato chips in the fine polenta bramata before roasting or frying for a crispy outer coating. In the USA, this coarse cornmeal is also known as grits, and is most often used to make cornbread, cornmeal cookies, or even in gluten-free cakes.

Cooking instrucitons for 4-5 people: Boil approx 2 litres of water, adding a tbsp of salt. Slowly add 500g polenta, stirring frequently for around 40-50 minutes until required firmness is achieved. Serve immediately.

Ingredients: 100% maize (corn) flour. Servings per pack 10. Serving size 100g.

.

http://www.souschef.co.uk/polenta-bramata.html

09-10-2013, 12:37	#1
Area88 Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 930	Polenta (Cornmeal or Cornflour) I've been looking for gluten free alternatives and trying anything and everything. So far, Polenta has been the tastiest and most versatile food I have tried. Real Polenta is 100% cornmeal. I bought 375g box for £1.39 from Waitrose. Watch out for ready made versions at Tesco or Sainsbury's. They are only 17% Corn (maize) and the rest is water. The silly thing is real Polenta is even faster than normal porridge oats, a staple that also has gluten in it. Click Here for a Picture of Polenta Anyway just making people more aware. Apparently you can make pancakes, cakes, bread, practically anything as you just replace the wheat flour with corn flour. Nutrient profile - select 100g to see how healthy it is What are the Benefits of eating Cornmeal? Anyone else tried this? It's a staple in Italy and it's quite popular in the USA. If anyone else has any great alternatives, please post here.

09-10-2013, 14:47	#2
Bunny82 Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: The south Posts: 452	Is it the same as cornmeal? I've never taken the time to find out. If it is I got a big bag (1.5kg I think) to make cornbread from Asda for £1. ETA - just seen it is cornmeal by a different name!

09-10-2013, 16:17	#3
Abriel Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 7,170	we love polenta and have it with a tomato and ham or creme fraiche and mushroom sauce. you can also use it as an alternative to breadcrumbs or roll meatballs in it for a bit of texture. agree the ready made stuff isn't too good

09-10-2013, 17:07	#4
degsyhufc Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Up North Posts: 58,791	Quote: Originally Posted by Area88 The silly thing is real Polenta is even faster than normal porridge oats, a staple that also has gluten in it. Not sure about that. How long does it take you to cook porridge oats? Polenta can take over 30 minutes and it needs continous stirring, unless you have the quick cook variety. I don't think i've ever heard a chef recommend quick cook polenta.

09-10-2013, 20:30	#5
Area88 Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 930	Quote: Originally Posted by degsyhufc Not sure about that. How long does it take you to cook porridge oats? Polenta can take over 30 minutes and it needs continous stirring, unless you have the quick cook variety. On the back of my Polenta box, it says bring to the boil and cook for 8 minutes. Mine is precooked. Is yours a different variety? Porridge only takes me couple of minutes because I use rolled oats with water. I bring it to the boil and cook it very quickly with just the right amount of water for consistency. I stopped eating oats though because of the gluten.

09-10-2013, 21:10	#6
degsyhufc Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Up North Posts: 58,791	I bought one of the bigish bags from the world food aisle in my local Tesco. It was probably East End. It does say Polenta on the pack below Cornmeal. It's not precooked AFAIK so making polenta from scratch will take time & effort. Quote: There are three different types of polenta sold in supermarkets and delis. Traditional polenta takes around 40 minutes to cook, and it does need to be stirred while it's on the stove. Supermarkets sell instant polenta, which can be brought to the table, piping hot, in less than 10 minutes. If all this seems too much like hard work, check out the ready-to-use pre-cooked variety. It's sold in good delis as a slab or a roll http://uktv.co.uk/food/ingredient/aid/508810 Chef Theo Randall recommends Polenta Bramata / Conmeal Coarse Ground. I've heard him say several times on telly never to use quick cook but he is kind of a snob for Italian food. Just looked up a Carluccio recipe and it says to use quick cook. It would be interesting to know whether he really would use it being an Italian purist.

09-10-2013, 21:10	#7
degsyhufc Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Up North Posts: 58,791	Quote: Polenta bramata or coarse cornmeal is the most common and versatile Italian polenta. It is a rustic, stone-milled, moderately coarse corn flour, and is boiled and cooked with butter for a classic Italian side dish. In traditional Italian cuisine, polenta is eaten with a knob of butter and stracchino cheese. Polenta bramata can also be used as a bed for meat, fish or mushrooms. Try coating fish and potato chips in the fine polenta bramata before roasting or frying for a crispy outer coating. In the USA, this coarse cornmeal is also known as grits, and is most often used to make cornbread, cornmeal cookies, or even in gluten-free cakes. Cooking instrucitons for 4-5 people: Boil approx 2 litres of water, adding a tbsp of salt. Slowly add 500g polenta, stirring frequently for around 40-50 minutes until required firmness is achieved. Serve immediately. Ingredients: 100% maize (corn) flour. Servings per pack 10. Serving size 100g. . http://www.souschef.co.uk/polenta-bramata.html

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Polenta (Cornmeal or Cornflour)