Chef John's Three Corn Polenta

asian european french greek korean mediterranean middle eastern region unknown spicy savory umami hard medium

Prep

21 min

Cook

92 min

Total

113 min

Ingredients (8)

2 teaspoons butter, divided g

1 teaspoon olive oil g

1 ½ cups fresh corn kernels, divided g

salt and ground black pepper to taste g

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste g

1 clove garlic, pressed g

2 ½ cups water, divided g

½ cup polenta g

Nutrition

kcal

fat

carbs

protein

Instructions

Melt 1 teaspoon butter and olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook and stir 2/3 of the corn, with a pinch of salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper in the hot butter and oil until the corn is fragrant and golden, about 10 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Pour 2 cups water into corn mixture; bring to a simmer and whisk polenta into mixture. Bring to a simmer again, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick and polenta absorbs the water, 20 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup water and stir; cook for until water is completely absorbed, about 10 minutes more.

Stir remaining corn and 1 teaspoon butter into polenta mixture. Remove from heat, cover the pot, and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.