Polenta in the Morning: Cinnamon & Raisin Polenta with Maple Syrup

This recipe is from the cookbook, Polenta by Brigit Legere Binns. I’ve had it for about five years and just happened to pick it up the other morning (thinking, “Oh, wow — I forgot I had this!”) and saw this recipe. It was one of those things where, as I read the ingredients, I mentally checked off if we had each one, because I knew I wanted to make it right then and there. Luckily, we had everything on hand.

It seems that other times that I tried to grill or pan fry polenta I’ve had problems. I tried it a number of years ago with some of that polenta-in-a-tube and just wound up with oil soaked circles of corn meal. This experience was much different. Making your own polenta is the key. I’ve been making polenta lately as a side dish, but more as the creamy, soft variety. This was the first time I’d tried chilling it, cutting it and frying it. It worked beautifully. Think crunchy, sweet porridge squares with maple syrup.

Cinnamon & Raisin Polenta with Maple Syrup
2 cups milk (fat-free works fine)
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 cup polenta or coarsely ground corn meal
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup toasted pecans or walnuts
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
1 tsp sugar
maple syrup
1 peach or fruit of your choice, sliced

In a medium-sized sauce pan, combine the milk, water, salt and two teaspoons of the sugar. Bring to a boil. Sprinkle in the polenta slowly, whisking as you go, until all the grains have been incorporated and there are no lumps.

Reduce the heat to low. Stir with a wooden spoon every couple of minutes, for 15-20 minutes or until the mixture starts to come away from the pan and the grains soften. Stir in the raisins, pecans and cinnamon.

Rinse a square baking pan (the size you would use for brownies) in cold water and shake it dry. Mound the hot polenta into the pan and use a spatula dipped in hot water to spread the polenta out evenly. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Cut the polenta into six squares and sprinkle the top with 1/2 a teaspoon with sugar.

Heat the butter and oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the polenta slices (sugared side down) and fry about 4 minutes, until golden. Sprinkle the other sides with sugar and flip. and cook on the second side 3-4 minutes.

If you need to fry the polenta batches, keep the first batch warm in a 200 degree oven. Meanwhile, heat up your syrup and get your fruit ready.

Serve the warm polenta squares with maple syrup and your fruit slices of choice. We used a peach but I imagine apple, pear, figs, or bananas would be great here too.

Coming this week: A salute to honey with rosemary-honey creme brulee and honey and lemon glazed carrots and turnips. Also, lamb & feta sandwiches with spinach and minted mayonnaise.

Wickedly Sunny & Fun
We saw Wicked, Sunday at Keller Auditorium. I really liked it. We were in the very last row but that was okay — at least we got seats and we could see the stage clearly.

Me on the way to Wicked.

It was a really nice out so we parked the car on the east side of the Hawthorne Bridge (down by OMSI) and walked across and over to Clay & 3rd. Blue skies, sunny not too warm — a perfect Portland day!

I remember reading the book right after grad school, while I was moving to Arizona in 1995. Now, after seeing the musical today, I want to re-read the book. I think I will go look for it tonight. It’s on one of the bookshelves, somewhere. Hmmmmm….