INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Bring 1-3/4 pints salted water to the boil.  Reduce the heat to low
and add the grain as though you were making porridge: let the polenta
trickle slowly through your fingers and stir the contents of the pan
very vigorously all the time to prevent lumps forming. Cook over the
gentlest possible heat for about 20 minutes, stirring more or less
continuously - like porridge and semolina, polenta is a great  sticker.
The mixture is ready when it begins to come away from the  sides of the
pan, is perfectly smooth and so thick that your wrist  aches from
stirring. Away from the heat beat in 1 tablespoon oil, the  stoned
olives if using them, and some salt and pepper.  Use the  remaining 1
tablespoon oil to grease the interior of an 11-12 inch  frying pan.
Turn the polenta into the frying pan, pack it down  smoothly and level
the top with an oiled spoon. Set aside for a  couple of hours until the
polenta is cold and solid. Loosen it with a  palette knife, turn it out
of the pan and cut into 6-8 wedges.  To make the sauce, chop the onion
finely and sweat it in the oil for  10-12 minutes.  Add the roughly
chopped tomatoes and their juices,  several cloves of finely chopped
garlic and a little bouquet of  rosemary, bay and thyme, or plenty of
well-flavoured herbs of your  choice. Let the mixture bubble away
gently for 40 minutes or so, just  stirring occasionally, until reduced
to a rich and fragrant sauce.  Remove the bouquet of herbs, season with
salt and pepper and add  extra fresh chopped herbs to taste.  Fry the
wedges of polenta in very hot olive oil or unsalted butter,  or a
mixture of the two, for 4-5 minutes on each side until lightly  crusted
and heated right through. Serve piping hot with the garlicky  tomato
sauce, and with a bowl of olives or grated Parmesan if you  wish. In
the Veneto polenta sometimes accompanies small silvery fried  fish, or
a dish of Fergato alla Veneziana.  Quail or other tiny game  birds
threaded on to skewers and cooked on a spit, or a saute of  chicken
livers, and grilled sausages, are other good choices but  polenta can
be served on its own just as well.  Source: Philippa Davenport in
"Country Living" (British), February  From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster
collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

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Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
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Calories: 156
Calories From Fat: 22
Total Fat: 2.5g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 1mg
Potassium: 36.5mg
Carbohydrates: 29.5g
Fiber: 3.9g
Sugar: 1.1g
Protein: 3.3g