Hailing from Friuli, Northeastern Italy, this creamy polenta with Grana Padano cheese fondue and cornmeal-infused brown butter is comfort food at its finest! This recipe is adapted from Chef Andrea Berton.
- 270 g coarse-ground cornmeal for polenta (divided)
- 200 g Grana Padano (or Parmigiano Reggiano) cheese grated
- 150 g milk
- 150 g heavy whipping cream
- 150 g butter
- 125 g extra-virgin olive oil
- fried sage leaves as a garnish (optional)
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POLENTA: Bring to a boil 1 liter of water with 10 g of salt. Pour 250 g of polenta slowly into boiling water, whisking constantly until there are no lumps. Turn down the heat and keep mixing with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 40-45 minutes and mix frequently (not constantly) so it doesn't stick to the bottom. While cooking, you may notice your polenta is too thick and dense: whisk in some warm water and mix very well to avoid lumps. Turn off the heat and mix in the extra-virgin olive oil. Your polenta should be creamy and smooth.
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FONDUE: Bring to a boil milk and cream in a medium saucepan. Stir in the grated cheese and turn the heat to low. Using a handheld blender, blend until you obtain a smooth cream. Keep it warm on a double boiler, until ready to use.
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CORNMEAL-INFUSED BROWN BUTTER: Brown the butter in a small saucepan and stir in 20 g of coarse-ground corn meal. Turn off the heat.
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TRANSFER your polenta to your dish with a big spoon. Top it with a ladleful of fondue, and a drizzle of cornmeal-infused brown butter. Garnish with fried sage, if you like (I recommend it!).