Italian polenta, or coarsely ground cornmeal (maize flour), can be served as soft polenta or, as in this case, moulded and chilled, then sliced, grilled, and topped with cheese. You may use leftover slices to make Barbecued Polenta with Barbecued-Tomato Sauce.
Adding Polenta to Water
Slowly add the polenta mixture to the boiling water, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Keep stirring until the mixture returns to a boil. The mixture will thicken quickly but needs to be cooked over low heat for about 35 minutes to eliminate the raw taste.
Shaping Polenta
After about 35 minutes of cooking and stirring, the polenta will be very thick. With a spatula, transfer the hot mixture to a greased loaf tin and set aside to cool. Refrigerate, covered, until firm enough to slice.
Cutting Polenta
To prepare for serving, first remove the chilled, firm polenta from the loaf tin and invert onto a cutting board. With a long, sharp knife, cut into 16 equal slices and use as directed in the recipe.