Best for: The do-ahead side that makes a grilled dinner taste like a trattoria.
Grilled polenta starts a day ahead: a pot of creamy polenta with Parmesan is poured into a pan, chilled until firm, then cut and grilled until the outside crisps and the inside turns creamy again. It is the natural plate-mate for costine, sausages, and mushrooms.
Grill: Direct medium-high heat; 425°F, on well-oiled grates or a griddle plate. Equipment: Grill, saucepan, 9×13-inch pan, whisk, spatula.
Ingredients
Chill: 2 hours. Total: 2 hours 55 minutes.
Polenta
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon fine table salt
- 1 cup coarse yellow cornmeal (polenta)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the grill
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Extra grated Parmesan and chopped parsley, to serve
Directions
Bring the water and salt to a boil in a saucepan. Rain in the cornmeal while whisking, lower the heat, and cook, stirring often, for 35 to 40 minutes, until thick and pulling away from the sides.
Stir in the butter, Parmesan, and black pepper. Pour the polenta into an oiled 9×13-inch pan, smooth the top, and chill until completely firm, at least 2 hours (or overnight).
Turn the polenta out and cut it into 12 squares or triangles. Brush both sides with olive oil.
Heat the grill to 425°F and oil the grates very well, or set a griddle plate over the heat.
Grill the polenta for 4 to 5 minutes per side, without moving it, until a crisp golden crust forms and it releases cleanly.
Serve hot with extra Parmesan and parsley over the top, alongside any grilled meat or mushrooms.
Grilling tip: The chill is non-negotiable — warm polenta slumps through the grates, cold polenta grills like a steak.
