Herby Polenta With Corn, Eggs and Feta Recipe (2024)

By Yotam Ottolenghi

Herby Polenta With Corn, Eggs and Feta Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Rating
4(1,133)
Notes
Read community notes

Cooking polenta in the oven has turned out to be quite a game-changer for me, and completely contradicts the belief that polenta needs to consistently be attended to. Do try to find coarse cornmeal here rather than the quick-cooking kind, as that style of polenta simply won’t yield the same smooth and creamy result that you’re looking for. You can also swap out the chicken stock for vegetable stock or water if you’re looking for a vegetarian alternative. I like to serve this as a midday brunch with a zesty green salad, as it’s hearty enough to keep you going until dinner.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 9ounces/255 grams frozen corn kernels (about 2 cups), defrosted
  • 7ounces/200 grams baby spinach (about 10 lightly packed cups), roughly torn or sliced
  • 1cup/150 grams coarse cornmeal
  • 1packed cup/50 grams finely grated Parmesan
  • 5scallions (spring onions), thinly sliced, 2 tablespoons reserved for garnish
  • ¼cup/20 grams roughly chopped fresh cilantro (coriander), plus 1 tablespoon finely chopped and reserved for garnish
  • 3tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 3tablespoons roughly chopped fresh dill
  • 4garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • Salt and black pepper
  • cups/530 milliliters whole milk
  • 2cups/475 milliliters chicken stock
  • 3tablespoons/40 grams unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 5ounces/140 grams Greek feta, roughly crumbled (about 1 cup)
  • 8medium eggs, at room temperature
  • 2tablespoons olive oil
  • ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

524 calories; 28 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 44 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 23 grams protein; 892 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Herby Polenta With Corn, Eggs and Feta Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius.

  2. Step

    2

    Add the corn to a food processor and pulse once or twice, just until roughly chopped. Transfer corn to a large bowl and add the spinach, cornmeal, Parmesan, scallions, ¼ cup cilantro, parsley, dill, garlic, 1½ teaspoons salt and a good grind of pepper; stir to combine. Transfer this mixture to a large, deep, oven-proof skillet, then add the milk, stock and butter, stirring gently to mix through. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and give everything a good whisk.

  3. Step

    3

    Return to the oven and bake until the cornmeal is cooked through and the mixture has thickened, about 20 minutes. Give the polenta another good whisk — it should be quite smooth and not completely set — then stir in half the feta. Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees Fahrenheit/220 degrees Celsius.

  4. Step

    4

    Use a dinner spoon to make 8 shallow wells in the polenta. Crack an egg into each well and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining feta all over, and bake until the egg whites are cooked and the yolks are still runny, 10 to 15 minutes.

  5. Step

    5

    Meanwhile, combine the reserved scallions and cilantro in a bowl with the oil. Spoon this mixture all over the polenta and eggs and sprinkle with the red-pepper flakes. Serve directly from the pan.

Ratings

4

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1,133

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Lucie

Chop the corn with a knife or leave it whole! No need to dirty a food processor for this one step. Also in the interest of cutting down on dishes, ingredients can be mixed directly in the skillet. I cut the recipe in half, baked in an 8 inch skillet, and it turned out very well.

Eileen

I haven't tried this but This use of vegetables is intriguing.However, I do use polenta a lot and mostly cook it in the microwave. 1 liter of water + salt. Nuke for 5 min. Add 250 g polenta and beat with rotary beater. Nuke for 10 min. Beat again with rotary beater and Nuke again for 8-10 min. Comes out perfect, creamy, just the right thing for ossobuco or any other dish with a good sauce. Thought I would share this

Rebecca

They’re not the same. Grits and polenta are made with different types of corn. Grits are a white corn with a soft starch. Polenta is made from a yellow corn and has a hard starch. So, the flavor profile and texture are different between grits and polenta.

Wilma

Made this tonight with a portion of buttermilk— it’s really satisfying. Love that the nestled-in eggs stay nice and warm! I opted to mix the ingredients in a large bowl. I envisioned a drippy cast iron skillet mess!Next time I’ll try blitzing the greens for a finer final texture. This would be an attractive brunch dish with red chard. My finicky eater wanted to know why there are so many new dinners! She is a teen in ramen-overdrive. I love a new and novel NYT recipe.

Peter C. Herman

really interesting. There is less polenta here than I expected. It's more what binds the spinach/herb/corn mixture together. But the flavors blend together really well. Also, personally, I don't like fried eggs, but my wife does. So I made half with the eggs the ways she likes, and half I stirred together eggs and milk, then poured the mixture into the wells. The recipes a keeper!

sarah

I made it in my dutch oven and it was perfect. There was lots of room to stir, which I think might be rather nerve wracking in a shorter sided pan. Plus, polenta is the equivalent of boiling hot glue.

Amy

I made up to step 3 on a Sunday evening, put this in the fridge and continued with steps 4 and 5 on Monday evening after work. It worked like a charm and was a big hit. If you are cooking for a crowd and can polish this off in a sitting, follow the recipe as directed. If you intend to chip away at this over a few days, omit the eggs and throw a fried egg on top before serving as you heat up portions during the week.

lynn

My father, not Italian, also cooked it in the pot first, then baked in a pan. Every Christmas morning, he would fry those slices in butter, and serve along with bacon, toast and orange juice ( a treat as OJ was so expensive in the 1950's). He hated the smell of eggs, so he never cooked those (something about his service in the Navy.......).

Barbara

This recipe has half a day's sodium. To lower that, use unsalted or low-sodium stock (I make my own from bones and veggie scraps) and do not salt before tasting.

Gabriella Evans

What do you think about substituting water for the whole milk? Also, which is my best choice for "large, deep, oven-proof skillet?" I have: a cast iron Dutch oven, 10-inch; an 14-inch All-Clad deep skillet; a larger size Le Creuset Dutch oven (larger than my cast-iron one); a 9-inch cast-iron skillet. What would fit all the ingredients and provide the proper cooking tool. Nothing seems quite right except the All-Clad but my concern is that the ingredients will stick. Thanks so much.

G. James

If the grains are the same size as sugar, it is fine. If they resemble your course kosher salt, i.e., are five to six times as large, it is course, in between, medium. Go to the store and invest in a small bag of course-ground polenta. Bob's Red Mill is widely available and will hold out longer before it turns into a solid mass.

Sam FC

Swap the spinach for the same weight of arugula. No need to chop if it's small leaves. It's excellent.

Casper Pike

After making it two times 1/2 cup reduction is the magic number. All that spinach and corn add liquid!

Jim

Very nice! On the other hand, skip the eggs and replace them with prosciutto.

Casper Pike

Will make it tonight. Summery, but stick to ribs hybrid. The baking of polenta is the best thing I have learned from NYT food this year!

BetsyVT

I skipped chopping the frozen corn and loved having the larger bite - agree, no need for that step. Don't go short on the herbs. So good.

MrsChill

So satisfying! I agree you can chop the corn with a knife. I made the recipe minus the eggs because I wasn’t serving right away but I think that addition will be good! It’s really good reheated and with pickled onions on top.

skunch

yummm

Hannah

Threw this together with canned corn, frozen spinach, skipping a bunch of the ingredients and I’m happy with the results! I’m sure it’d be better with everything but for a one-pot weeknight dinner it works out.

Elle

My sis-in-law and I cooked this up together while we were all watching today's JAN6 committee hearings. It was pretty liquidy after the first 20 mins, so we cooked it down a bit on the stove, & then returned it to the oven. Absolutely scrumptious!

CL

This is Delicious!I chopped corn with knife. Sauteed some leek,garlic,jalapeño,diced zucch in oil in the skillet, then added the rest ingred (after it cooled some)For our tastes, used less spinach & parmesan.Combined 1/2c fine grind w/1/2c medium grind corn meal.Skipped the eggs (&feta on top) and dill (allergies). Kept the scallions&cilantro on top.Served with salad and roasted asparagus.Used 12” pan w/3”sides. No way this would fit my 10” staub Universally loved

BFrey

Made with fresh marjoram and dried dill as that's what I had. Poached the egg and scrambled some for my 5 yr old. Otherwise as written. We loved it! Warm and comforting. And the 5 year old ate it. The kid who in the past has literally gagged on spinach.

Lactose Sensitive Friendly

I love anything Ottolenghi! Surprised by how quickly this came together, despite the long ingredient list.To make this more friendly to my lactose sensitive husband, I replaced the whole milk with soy milk and a large scoop of yogurt, the butter with bacon drippings, and used a goats milk feta. Turned out amazing!

misterfantasia

Roasted corn would make this an excellent dish. The texture and flavor of essentially defrosted corn in the written recipe really detracts from an otherwise tasty polenta.

Amy

What exactly is "coarse" cornmeal? Can I just use ordinary cornmeal as long as it's not quick-cooking? (Not sure what that is either but I assume it would say "quick-cooking" on the label.)

Sharon

Excellent brunch dish for a crowd. The polenta is rich so this easily serves six. I made it without the spinach because my husband doesn't like it (oxalates), and without dill because we don't like dill. A small bit of fresh tarragon would be a nice herbaceous addition.

Kate

This was a great meal prep breakfast! I prepared to halfway through step 3, portioned out, and finished in the morning. I swapped the dill for jalapeño as a personal preference and it was really good! Will definitely make again.

jim in japan

Wow! Loved it. For me, the amount of liquid was just right—a wonderful creamy texture. The flavors were vibrant (the dill took center stage), and the polenta and dairy created a super-comforting base. As a previous cook noted, eggs cooked quickly. At 7 minutes, already getting jammy.

EmilyD

I made this for dinner last night and I'm eating the leftovers for breakfast- it's soooo delicious. I would call it perfect except it's a bit time consuming.I threw in some little tomatoes and skipped the plain salt. I will make this again, it seems pretty versatile.

Mary

What do you do when you go out to the garden to collect the dill and a swallowtail caterpillar is eating the dill? He/she needs it more, but what should I sub?

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Herby Polenta With Corn, Eggs and Feta Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between cornmeal and polenta? ›

Differences between cornmeal and polenta

Cornmeal is made by grinding dried corn kernels – yellow, white or blue – into fine, medium and coarse textures, while polenta is made from a specific variety of corn called flint corn. Polenta also has a coarser texture than most types of cornmeal.

How do you make Martha Stewart polenta? ›

In a large, deep saucepan, bring 5 cups of water to a boil. While whisking constantly, add polenta in a slow, steady stream. Reduce heat to medium, cook until thickened, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in cheese, heavy cream, and butter.

Should polenta be soaked before cooking? ›

The trick is to presoak the polenta in its liquid for several hours before cooking it. This step helps fully hydrate the cornmeal before you even start cooking it, which in turn drastically cuts down on the cooking time.

What's the difference between polenta and mush? ›

Polenta is actually a dish, not an ingredient. It's also been given the terrible and unappetizing name, "mush." It refers to a porridge originating in Italy made of bright yellow corn that has been grounded into cornmeal and heated in boiling water.

What is polenta called in America? ›

I'm an (Italian-) American, and grew up eating it, and loving it. In southern USA the “American” version is quite popular, but it is called grits, and many don't realize these dishes are basically the same.

Is polenta or grits healthier? ›

Grits vs.

Polenta is typically made from finely ground yellow cornmeal. The other difference is cultural preparation. Polenta is an Italian dish cooked to a thick and creamy texture, while grits are southern and have a thicker, coarser texture. Grits and polenta have a similar nutrition content.

How do Italians use polenta? ›

Polenta is even used to make desserts such as pinza, a Veneto cornmeal and fruit cake; torta nicolotta, an aromatic cake seasoned with grappa and fennel seeds traditionally made with leftover polenta; and brustengolo, an apple-walnut polenta pudding popular in Umbria, especially in the Perugia province.

Why do Italians love polenta? ›

Polenta -- simmered cornmeal -- is one of Italy's most popular staple foods. Prized for its versatility, it can be paired with both savory and sweet flavors. Polenta comes in many forms; it can be chewy, gluey, crispy or extremely creamy.

What pairs with polenta? ›

Top polenta with your favorite pasta sauce. Add sautéed greens and protein of choice including meats, cheese, lentils and legumes. Make as a breakfast cereal; add nuts, seeds, dried fruits, fresh fruit, and milk of choice.

Is polenta better with milk or water? ›

In Italian cooking, polenta is made with water. Some more Americanized recipes will prompt you to start with milk or stock, but (in my opinion) they are wrong. Hydrating your polenta with water will allow the flavor of the corn to shine, and it will allow each individual grain to absorb salt more readily.

How do you make polenta taste better? ›

Cooked veggies are the perfect way to add hearty texture, richness, and flavor to creamy polenta. Try pairing it with roasted broccoli, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, butternut squash, or cauliflower, with grilled mixed vegetables or zucchini, or with sautéed mushrooms.

Is polenta better for you than mashed potatoes? ›

Polenta is high in protein and fiber, but compared to rice, pasta, or potatoes, it's much lower in calories and fat, yet still provides a source of complex carbs that are much-needed for energy. So, why not to try polenta out for your next meal?

Is semolina the same as polenta? ›

What Is the Difference Between Polenta and Semolina? As polenta is made from corn, it's gluten-free. Semolina, on the other hand, is coarsely ground, high-gluten durum wheat used to make pasta, cakes, and breads. Photo by Getty Images.

Can I substitute cornmeal for polenta? ›

Packages labeled polenta mean that the grind of the corn is appropriate to make the polenta dish, but you can substitute regular medium or coarsely-ground cornmeal instead. Don't use finely ground cornmeal or corn flour which have too fine of a consistency and will give the finished dish a pasty texture.

Can you substitute corn polenta for cornmeal? ›

You can substitute polenta in place of cornmeal. The main difference between the two is that cornmeal is more finely ground, while polenta has a slightly coarser texture. Therefore, your finished product can have a small texture variation than when prepared with traditional cornmeal.

Can I use regular cornmeal for polenta? ›

Polenta is basically cornmeal mush, and it can be made with any kind of cornmeal, ground coarse, medium or fine. (You don't need bags marked “polenta.”) As with most ingredients, though, the better the cornmeal you start with, the better your result in the kitchen.

What is better for cornbread polenta or cornmeal? ›

Coarse cornmeal can be used in the breading for fried chicken or crusty fish, whereas fine cornmeal is preferred for baking muffins, cakes, and cornbread. Some cooks may swap medium- or coarse-ground cornmeal in place of regular polenta in a pinch.

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