A period dish

White Polenta

Coarse ground millet or cornmeal cooked into a soft, pale porridge and served with cheese and butter.

Serves 6

Polenta in its older form was made from millet, barley, or buckwheat before maize arrived from the Americas. Cooked slowly in salted water and enriched with butter and cheese, it was the daily bread of the Alpine and northern Italian countryside.

Ingredients

Dairy & Eggs

  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 cup parmesan

Pantry / Durable

  • 2 cup millet

Spices & Seasoning

  • salt

Other

  • 6 cup water

Method

  1. Bring salted water to a boil in a heavy pot.

  2. Rain in the millet or cornmeal in a thin stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.

  3. Lower the heat and cook, stirring often, for about forty-five minutes, until the polenta pulls away from the sides.

  4. Stir in butter and grated cheese and season with salt.

  5. Turn it out onto a board, let it set for a moment, and serve in slices with more cheese.

Served at

The printer's house · Basel, Switzerland