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Posted

My long-ago best friend in Vancouver, a first-generation Italian-Canadian from Friuli, insisted on fine-to-medium white cornmeal for polenta. Coarse yellow cornmeal, he sniffed, was fine for the coarse peasants of more southerly climes. :P

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Posted
6 hours ago, chromedome said:

My long-ago best friend in Vancouver, a first-generation Italian-Canadian from Friuli, insisted on fine-to-medium white cornmeal for polenta. Coarse yellow cornmeal, he sniffed, was fine for the coarse peasants of more southerly climes. :P

White "dent" corn was the preferred variety where I grew up.  Yellow corn was "horse corn" or feed corn, not for human consumption.

Although a lot of farmers brought plenty of yellow corn to the mill to be ground into coarse meal - this was for an "alternative" use which involved some sugar, water and heat...

 

 

 

 

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"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

Posted
7 hours ago, kayb said:

 

Makes perfect sense. I always think of polenta/grits as being boiled, while I'm used to hushpuppy batter being raw when it's fried. Or broiled, as the case may be. Wheels are turning on potential recipes/methods.

 

 

Polenta (if stone-ground, a bit coarser meal). Both derive their flavor mostly from what's added to/served with them. Traditional Southern breakfast grits are boiled with water or milk or a combo, and salt, finished with butter, salt and pepper, served with bacon, eggs and gravy. My personal preference is for an over-easy egg perched on top of a mound of grits.

 

The most common iteration is cheese grits, with any of multitudinous varieties of cheese added. Hot peppers of any description are a frequent addition. There are all sorts of grits-based casseroles.

 

My very favorite breakfast grits dish is a layer of cheese grits in the bottom of a ramekin, with a couple of eggs cracked on top, some chopped bacon, and a couple of tablespoons of cream. Into a 350 oven for 12 minutes or so. Ouefs en cocotte, on a bed of cheese grits.

Don't forget the Atlantic seaboard and Gulf coast specialty - Shrimp and Grits. 

I can't eat seafood but I know some folks here on eG who are "enthusiastic" about this dish.

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"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

  • 5 years later...
Posted

Restaurant fried polenta is golden brown and tastes like polenta, but better.

 

My fried polenta is light tan and tastes like a corn chip.  I've tried dusting with flour or sugar, deep frying, pan frying...all the same.

 

Anybody know any tricks?

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Posted
17 minutes ago, gfweb said:

Restaurant fried polenta is golden brown and tastes like polenta, but better.

 

My fried polenta is light tan and tastes like a corn chip.  I've tried dusting with flour or sugar, deep frying, pan frying...all the same.

 

Anybody know any tricks?

 

I have the same problem as you!  As well as keeping it in one piece during the frying process.

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Posted

It's been years since I've made it, but the recipe I followed called for briefly broiling with lots of butter.

 

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Posted

I'm no expert but I think browning -- and flavour -- arises from a good lot of grated Parmesan in the mixture.

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Posted
1 hour ago, Kim Shook said:

Mine pops all over the place.  I feel like I need to be behind a protective barrier.  I love the crusty version I get in restaurants, but I find I usually have to settle for "hot".  

 

This for sure.  I just think a much "drier" version of polenta needs to be used, if that makes sense. Or perhaps breading the polenta sticks before frying?

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Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

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Posted
1 minute ago, weinoo said:

 

This for sure.  I just think a much "drier" version of polenta needs to be used, if that makes sense. Or perhaps breading the polenta sticks before frying?

I let it sit on a paper towel for a while and popping is minimal

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Posted (edited)

Never have a problem with it.  I cook it the night before to just past the point where it will be eaten as it.

I place it in a buttered loaf pan, chill overnight, slice and lay the slices on a sheet pan on which I have lightly sprinkled (with a dredger) CORN STARCH, not flour, then sprinkle on top, brush lightly to removed excess and then fry on a lightly greased griddle - I happen to prefer bacon fast - but use a high smoke point oil if cooking for friends who don't consume pork products.  The light one lost it's skin on the griddle when I turned it before it "released."

Screen Shot 2022-07-05 at 5.41.07 PM.png

Edited by andiesenji (log)
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"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

Posted

Andie's point should be well taken.    Leaving fried foods on the heat until they readily release from the bottom is the clue to good crusts.   

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Posted

P. S. If you want them browner, it is not a sin to run them under the BROILER for one or two minutes!

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"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

Posted
3 hours ago, gfweb said:

I let it sit on a paper towel for a while and popping is minimal

 

I no longer have the broiler recipe I followed but as I recall it involved quite a bit of drying.

 

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Posted

You’ll need a drier polenta cooked just a little longer this isn’t a time you want to experience all the textures you want it cooked fully you’ll need half a cow of butter and about equal portions of salt turn it out onto your tray chill cut out your shapes then fridge overnight. 
 

i cook polenta sous vide at 95c for almost 2 hours you need asbestos hands and solid gloves as the polenta will need a few massages during the cook but it works extremely well. 1:1.1 polent/liquid
 

to fry them I dust them in potato starch and plain flour then far more oil then you think in a pan. 
 

‘The results are acceptably good but you know you aren’t eating anything healthy

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Posted
1 hour ago, weinoo said:

That’s one way, I’m sure. I’m also sure it’s not the only way.

 

Because there probably isn’t a restaurant on this whole continent doing it that way.

I think I’ve only once read about someone doing polenta sous vide and didn’t like the results because it would clump while cooking. I like cooking it sous vide because I’m lazy and I only need to massage the bag 2 or 3 times during the cooking. Plus once cooked lasts weeks in the fridge unopened, freezes perfectly and is easy to reheat. 
 

‘but cook it however you want, using whatever you’ve got to whatever method you like. 

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Posted

I don't do polenta, but I DO do grits. As Andie and others suggest, if you know you are going to fry up slices later, cook the mixture a little bit further than you might ordinarily.. Put it in whatever you like for a mold. I've always refrigerated it overnight. Before cooking in ample butter or oil, I press the slices gently on both sides with paper towels to eliminate more moisture. And I agree that patience is the key to minimize sticking. However, there is always a little bit of popping during the sauté time no matter how much I try to reduce the spatter. Cast iron works well, but I suppose well seasoned carbon steel or non-stick pan would get the job done too.  

 

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Posted

Never tried it, but could you give it the “fried rice cube” treatment ?

 

Cool the mass in the freezer until hardened, but not frozen. Cut up into desired shapes, dust with starch and fry until golden.

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Posted
16 hours ago, EatingBen said:

you’ll need half a cow of butter

 

:D  A "cow" will be my standard measure from now on.

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Posted
9 hours ago, Duvel said:

Never tried it, but could you give it the “fried rice cube” treatment ?

 

Cool the mass in the freezer until hardened, but not frozen. Cut up into desired shapes, dust with starch and fry until golden.

Never heard of a fried rice cube, but just let me know to stop by. How big are the cubes? Could you form them in an ice cube tray and then chill them? And do you make the cubes out of leftover fried rice w/fixings, in which case you are making fried fried rice? Or are you using just plain cooked white rice? Did you just make that up?

Posted

Sounds very similar to risotto cakes

38 minutes ago, Katie Meadow said:

Never heard of a fried rice cube, but just let me know to stop by. How big are the cubes? Could you form them in an ice cube tray and then chill them? And do you make the cubes out of leftover fried rice w/fixings, in which case you are making fried fried rice? Or are you using just plain cooked white rice? Did you just make that up?

 

 

Posted

Mihlo frito/fried polenta is served with almost everything on Madeira. They spread cooked polenta on a tray and bake in oven. Cut into cubes and fry till golden.

oj1i6Zp.jpg

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