I've always liked polenta but was having trouble finding anything but the tasteless "instant polenta" that is the only choice at most supermarkets. In Byron Bay there was a great store called Santos with organic polenta in the bulk bins. Unlike the processed instant stuff, this is a bit more coarse and takes about 15 minutes to cook.
I usually use these proportion and make up as much as I need. To fill a cake tin, each part would be about 1.5 cups:
- 1 part polenta
- 1 part soy milk
- 2 parts water
- salt
Put all the ingredients into a pot stirring regularly over a low flame. Polenta has a nasty habit of bubbling all over the place so once it starts boiling, you need to keep stirring. It will seem really liquid but within 10 minutes will start to thicken. Keep going for about another 5 minutes. Then stir in a big handful of parmesan and/or something like gruyer. Once the cheese is melted, pour into a cake tin and allow to set for at least an hour, or even better, overnight. To serve, cut into slices and fry.
The ragout I used was a bit too dry. I think this works better with a sauce that is more liquid. Italians often serve the polenta without frying. They just pour the polenta onto a wooden board, put the sauce on top and then serve after it's been given a few minutes to thicken up. This is a great communal way to share a meal.
