The first time I had Polenta Croutons was at Max Amore in Glastonbury – one of my many “favorites” at Max Amore was their Caesar Salad with Polenta Croutons. Oh, my goodness – I had so many “favorites.” Shrimp Fra Diavolo, Calamari Fritti, Melanzana Portafoglio, Summer Risotto… Max Amore was a frequent meeting place for me and my girlfriends after work. I’d drive to Glastonbury from downtown Hartford, Katie would drive from New Britain, Carolyn would drive from Middletown. The eau de garlic would caress us as we walked in the door. We have such fond memories of Max Amore, but alas it’s no more. Max Amore closed in 2019 – the end of an era.
I’ve had polenta croutons many times since then, but I’ve never succeeded in making them at home. I’d pour the cooked porridge into a baking dish and stash it in the fridge, but it would never set up, even if I left it in the fridge overnight. I consulted many recipes, and was confounded – what was I doing wrong? In hindsight, I feel silly. I can read, and I should be able to follow instructions. I was a teacher at one time, after all. But did I use polenta? No! I was using cornmeal, arrogantly assuming that it was the same thing. Well, it’s not.
Google AI summary – Polenta and cornmeal are similar products, but polenta is usually more coarsely ground, giving it a firmer texture and less mushy consistency than cornmeal. Polenta is traditionally associated with Italian cuisine, while cornmeal is a common staple food that originated in Mexico.
And that’s not all. Do you know how cornmeal sputters and spits as you cook it? It’s like hot lava shooting out of the pot. I don’t like that, not one bit. So when a recipe says to cook it for 20 minutes, I would just ignore that instruction. Once the cornmeal began to sputter and wink, I’d call it. It looked perfectly thickened to me. However, it really does take the full 20 minutes for the polenta to reach the point where the corn is fully hydrated and all of the excess moisture has been cooked off. Just loosely cover the pan with the lid to protect yourself from its ire, lifting the lit a few times during the twenty minutes to stir and scrape the bottom of the pot to keep the polenta from sticking.
Polenta Croutons
Ingredients
- 4 ounces Gruyere
- 3 cups water
- 2 T butter
- 1 cup polenta
- 2 t kosher salt
- 1 t garlic powder
- 1-2 T olive oil
- 2/3 cups sourdough breadcrumbs
Instructions
THE DAY BEFORE SERVING
- Grate the cheese and prep the baking dish – Grate the cheese and set aside. Line your baking dish with parchment and spray it wit olive oil.
- Cook the polenta – Whisk together the water, butter, polenta, salt, and garlic powder in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Cover loosely, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Take the polenta off the heat.
- Add the cheese and let the polenta set – Stir in the grated cheese, then pour the polenta mixture into your prepared baking dish. Smooth the top, cover, and chill overnight.
THE DAY OF
- Preheat the oven – Preheat the oven to 425℉, convection bake setting.
- Cut the polenta and prep for baking – Gently remove the polenta from the baking dish and slice it into 1/2 or 1-inch cubes. In a large bowl, gently toss the polenta cubes with olive oil to coat, then add the breadcrumbs and toss again.
- Bake – Place the coated polenta cubs on a large baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
They make great polenta crutons at Camille’s in Tolland. My attempts to recreate were just so-so. I used premade polenta and baked them in the air fryer. I’ll be trying your recipe.
If you’ve used the premade polenta, I’m wondering if this recipe will be worth the trouble! It is very creamy inside and crisp on the outside. Let me know!