GRILLED POLENTA
As promised, here is my companion recipe for Grilled Polenta that I recently served with my Grilled Shrimp with Sundried Tomato Gremolata.
Grilling polenta is a great way to liven it up a bit. It creates a crispy exterior to the polenta, similar to the texture you get from frying it, but without (most of) the extra oil! Topped with some grated parmesan and a sprinkle of herbs and you’ve got a great little side dish or appetizer!
Grilling polenta can be a little daunting, because of it’s delicate texture, but there are some trick you can use to guarantee great grilled polenta each time!
Grilled Polenta
Tips and Tricks
Use well-set polenta. Room temperature or cold is fine. If you’re having trouble getting your polenta to set at room temperature, popping it into the fridge for a bit should do the trick.
Oil your polenta. I brushed a little olive oil on one side of the polenta before placing them on the grill, and oiled the opposite side while they were cooking.
Use a preheated grill to prevent sticking! This is the same as searing meats and seafoods as well. If you start with a cold grill it will not end well. Trust me.
Use hot enough heat, but not too hot. For mine, I found 450-500 degrees was just about perfect. You do want to watch carefully to make sure the grill isn’t firing too hot or you will end up with blackened polenta which is obviously not the goal.
Be patient. Do not be tempted to force your polenta to flip just because you “think” it’s probably ready. Gently test the edges and only flip when the polenta easily lifts off the grill grates.
Serving Ideas
Grilled polenta is great on its own topped with a little cheese and herbs, but you can also serve it cut into strips with some marinara or homemade ranch (please, whatever you do, if you’ve gone to the trouble of making polenta, do not serve it with bottled ranch!! blegh). It also works great as a naturally gluten free side.
Check these recipes out for some inspiration:
Grilled Shrimp with Sundried Tomato Gremolata
Herb Crusted Lamb Chops
Roasted Chicken
Herb Dijon Crusted Salmon
Grilled Polenta
The next time you’re firing up the grill, I hope you give this one a go!
