[Modernist Cuisine] Pressure Cooked Polenta?

[Anonymous Modernist 15013]

I was wondering why the difference in cook times between MCAH and MC for the pressure cooked polenta. The quantities of ingredients are the same but the MC version is vacuum sealed and PC'ed for 8 minutes while the MCAH version is in a mason jar and PC'ed for 12 minutes? Should the cook time not be much closer together? 50% more time for something with the same amount of product?

I ask because I made it on the weekend and to say it turned out subpar would be a very large understatement. I will be trying again but want to know if I should be cooking it for 8 minutes or 12 in mason jars?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Edit: Started thread in wrong location, sorry.

[Sam Fahey-Burke]

Hi vinlo,

It takes longer to cook in a jar because heat takes longer to penetrate glass than it does a vacuum bag. I recommend using the Modernist Cuisine at Home version (12 minutes in a jar), but bear in mind it will still need to be simmered a little with the mascarpone and butter when finished.

Hope that answers your question!

Sam

[Anonymous Modernist 15013]

It does answer my question Sam, thanks. I think I may have let the polenta sit a bit too long and it firm up WAY too much.. not creamy at all. Will be trying it again though.

[Anonymous Modernist 18549]

I have made this twice now and while the result has been quite tasty, I feel like I am doing something wrong. After cooking the polenta in two 16 oz Mason jars, it appears that much of the milk has escaped into the pot. The resulting polenta is quite dense and requires a bit of work (starting with a potato masher) to finish the recipe. The resulting dish is very thick. Is this expected?

[Anonymous Modernist 5066]

Are you cooling your pressure cooker by running cold water on it (or using some sort of quick-release/steam release)? If so, try letting the pressure come down on its own. I've found when doing Garlic Confit that if I tried to lower the pressure too fast, the sudden change of pressure in the pressure cooker caused the liquid in the mason pots to rush out (presumably because of a pressure difference between the insides of the pots vs the inside of the pressure cooker).

Allowing pressure to come down naturally solved this problem for me.

[Anonymous Modernist 11674]

Hi Aclamann,

I've made this recipe quite a few times using quick release and haven't encountered this problem. At the end of cooking time when you would be using the quick release method, the cooking liquid should essentially be absorbed. I would think that cooking liquid is escaping during the cooking process.

The recipe calls for water/stock rather than milk. Perhaps the milk is foaming and thus escaping from the jar. I wouldn't add any dairy until after cooking. The milk could also scorch/burn and adversely affect the end product.

I'd try with water/stock and see if that remedies the problem.

Shawn