Name: Buttered Polenta
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 hr
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 5 cups water; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse gray sea salt; 1 cup polenta (not quick-cooking; 5 ounces); 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

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Buttered PolentaJohn Kernick

Elena slow-cooks her polenta the traditional way, which can be a soul-satisfying experience if you set aside the time. When polenta is cooked properly, each grain of cornmeal slowly absorbs the liquid until it swells, becoming perfectly tender and seeming to disappear within the whole.

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