Asked commenters on my last post. I was similarly skeptical about how well this would work until I tried it. I think it is not quite as good as hand-stirred polenta, but it is good enough for me.
Here's how I did it yesterday:
Put in your crockpot
- 1 and 1/2 cups corn grits/polenta (I used Bob's Red Mill brand — I do not know if this will work with ordinary medium-grind yellow cornmeal, the stuff I use for corn bread).
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 7 and 1/2 cups water
and cook on LOW for 9 hours. If you are able, lift the lid and give it a stir a couple of times throughout the day. This makes a very soft polenta that sets up a bit as it cools. Don't lick the spoon or you WILL burn your tongue.
It still works if you don't stir it, but it won't be quite as uniform — it'll be crustier on the outside next to the crock and softer in the middle.
Before you serve it, give it a good stir, and that's when you would add stuff like butter and parmesan if you're going to be fancy. Under flavorful stew, though, I like it quite plain.
The leftovers are, of course, spread out in a 9×9 dish in my fridge, waiting for some morning soon when I will slice it up and fry it and top it with butter and maple syrup.
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