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What exactly should you do with polenta?

Scratch your head no longer when it comes to cooking polenta. These are the sweet and savoury ways to make use of the humble cornmeal.
Braised mushrooms with polenta

Braised mushrooms with polenta

Alicia Taylor

Polenta has humble origins as a peasant food, but there’s no denying its versatility in the modern kitchen. What is polenta served with? It makes for a wonderful creamy base for slow-cooked meats, and is an ideal crumbing agent for fried chicken. It makes a fine addition in cakes and desserts too – the honey, polenta and buttermilk-ricotta pudding is one of our favourites.

If you’re wondering how to make polenta, that depends on the variety. Yellow polenta – or cornmeal – is found more readily in supermarkets; the coarsely ground variety results in a thicker, fuller and creamier texture – our preference – while the finely ground stuff gives a looser viscosity. Instant polenta is good for speedy cook-ups, though it has a grainier texture, and you lose some of that prized nutty flavour in the express process. As for white polenta, make sure you put aside plenty of time – you’ll be stirring that pot for a good 30 minutes or so.

Here we have a comfort food polenta recipe served with large meatballs, plus creamy polenta served with roast pumpkin and a polenta-crust pie with bacon and tomato. As for sweet polenta recipes, you’ll find polenta puddings; ricotta cheese polenta and apple fritters; and a gluten free polenta cake made with ricotta and lemon-rosemary syrup. Whatever you choose, these recipes make polenta the hero, rather than the sidekick.

Here are our best polenta recipes.

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Blood orange and hazelnut cake

Photo: Alicia Taylor

Feta and polenta frittata with crisp Brussels sprouts

Photo: William Meppem

Chicken pie

Photo: Chris Court

Corn cake trifle with butterscotch, bananas and toasted meringue

Photo: William Meppem

Mike McEnearney’s blood orange cake

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Cheesy polenta waffles with fried egg and ham

Roast chicken thighs with green polenta recipe
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Roast chicken thighs with green polenta

Braised beef shin with charred  onion and bagna cauda
Photo: Mark Roper

Agostino’s braised beef shin with Barolo and bagna cauda (bresato al barolo, bagna cauda)

Wedges of roasted pumpkin, fried speck, chopped almonds and polenta on a eggshell blue round plate on a marble background.
Photo: Con Poulos

Polenta with roast pumpkin, speck and almonds

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Soft polenta with poached egg and parmesan

Big pork and prosciutto meatballs with polenta recipe
Photo: William Meppem

Big pork and prosciutto meatballs with polenta

Sausage and mushroom pasticciata
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Sausage and mushroom pasticciata

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Luke Burgess’s flounder fried in fubá with finger lime and young ginger

Chicken and clove ragù with polenta pasta
Photo: John Paul Urizar

Chicken and clove ragù with polenta pasta

Braised kale with mascarpone polenta
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Braised kale with mascarpone polenta

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Polenta, apple and ricotta fritters

Photo: Ben Dearnley

New England spider cake

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Cast-iron peach cobbler with buttermilk ice-cream

Photo: Ben Dearnley

White breakfast polenta with pears, burnt honey and almonds

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Quick-brined fried polenta chicken

Photo: William Meppem

Guy Grossi’s abbacchio alla Romana

Polenta-crumbed chicken with herb butter
Photo: Alicia Taylor

Polenta-crumbed chicken with herb butter

Ricotta-polenta cake with lemon-rosemary syrup
Photo: William Meppem

Ricotta-polenta cake with lemon-rosemary syrup

Lemon polenta cakes with pistachio nuts and mascarpone
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Jaclyn Koludrovic’s lemon polenta cakes with pistachio nuts and mascarpone

Honey, polenta and buttermilk-ricotta pudding
Photo: Alicia Taylor

Honey, polenta and buttermilk-ricotta pudding

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Stefano de Pieri’s amore di polenta (polenta cake)

Bacon and tomato polenta-crust pie
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Bacon and tomato polenta-crust pie

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Soft polenta with crab, chilli, lemon and fennel

Beer-braised brisket pie with tomatillo salsa
Photo: Ben Dearnley

Beer-braised brisket pie with tomatillo salsa

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Braised duck, Valpolicella, tomato and rosemary with polenta

Photo: Ben Dearnley

Spicy cornmeal waffles with popcorn chicken, honey and hot sauce

Photo: Con Poulos

Tomato-braised sausages on parmesan polenta

Braised mushrooms with polenta
Photo: Alicia Taylor

Braised mushrooms with polenta

Photo: Chris Chen

Veal saltimbocca with polenta mousseline, pear and broad beans

Photo: William Meppem

Crisp polenta, baby artichoke, peas and aioli

Photo: Prue Ruscoe

Brigitte Hafner’s Italian pear and polenta torte

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