Soft Polenta with Walnuts and Gorgonzola

Recipes title

Soft Polenta with Walnuts and Gorgonzola

Serves 4 as a main course

Although this dish can be served at any time, it is delightful for breakfast, particularlyon a cold, wintry morning. Serve with fresh fruit such as grapefruit, sliced pears, or a simple cranberry compote.

4 cups cold water
1 cup polenta
1-2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup grated cheese: Parmigiano-Reggiano, Romano, aged Asiago, St. George, or Dry Jack
freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces imported Gorgonzola cheese
2 ounces walnut halves or pieces, toasted
full flavored extra-virgin olive oil

Place the water in a heavy pot and stir in the polenta. Place the pot over a medium-high flame and stir the polenta constantly as it comes to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and continue stirring as the polenta thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in the salt and butter and continue cooking until the polenta is tender and begins to pull away from the side of the pot. Add the cheese and stir until it is well incorporated. Remove the polenta from the heat, taste it, and add more salt if necessary.
At this point the polenta should be soft and creamy. If it seems a little stiff, stir in about 1/2 cup boiling water and simmer for an additional five minutes. Ladle the polenta into warmed soup bowls and top each serving first with a few turns of black pepper, followed by small chunks of Gorgonzola and a scattering of toasted walnuts. Serve immediately.

Variation: Add 2 tablespoons of buckwheat flour to the polenta and use 4 ounces of teleme cheese, cut into small, thin slices, in place of the grated grated cheese.

From:
Polenta
by Michele Anna Jordan
Broadway Books
$19.95; 1997
ISBN 0-553-06732-X
Copyright © 1997 Michele Anna Jordan.
Reprinted by permission.