polenta cubes in broth
Author: 
Recipe type: soup
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
 
Ingredients
  • unsalted butter for greasing pan
  • 2¾ cups water
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • sea salt
  • 1 cup coarse polenta (I have also used fine)
  • black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2½ cups chicken or mushroom broth
  • 1 tablespoon fine chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
  1. Grease 5- x 8½-inch loaf pan with butter.*
  2. In a large saucepan, bring water, 1 tablespoon oil, and ½ teaspoon salt to a boil. Slowly add polenta in a thin stream, whisking. Reduce heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes.
  3. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until thickened and tender. The original recipe notes this will take 40 minutes with coarse polenta. Fine polenta takes me about 20 minutes.
  4. Season with ½ teaspoon pepper, then remove from heat.
  5. Transfer polenta to prepared pan and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Let polenta cool completely in pan on a wire rack. When polenta is cool, turnout onto a cutting board. Sprinkle cheese on top, pressing lightly with fingers to help cheese adhere. Cut polenta into 1-inch cubes (mine were a little smaller).
  6. In a large non-stick pan, heat remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add polenta cubes, cheese-side down, ensuring they are not overcrowded.**
  7. Cook until browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Flip and cook until bottoms are browned, about 2 minutes more. Divide cubes between 4 bowls.
  8. In a medium saucepan, bring broth just to a boil. Divide broth among bowls. Serve warm.
Notes
* Use a loaf pan without rounded edges, if you want true cubes. My pan had rounded corners, so some of my cubes were a little wonky looking. ** Overcrowding causes the melting cheese from one cube to stick onto its neighbor, making flipping to and evenly cooking tops and bottoms difficult. Keep the cubes away from each other until the last step in plating, where they can roll around together as much as they want.
Recipe by story of a kitchen at https://www.storyofakitchen.com/soup-recipes/polenta-cubes-in-broth/