Brown butter parmesan polenta
Easier-to-swallow option below ↓Polenta cooked in milk122 kcal turns soft and rich, and it takes butter102 kcal and cheese110 kcal as well as anything in this library. Browning the butter first takes three extra minutes and gives the whole bowl a nutty, toasted flavour.
Brown butter is ordinary butter cooked a few minutes longer, until the milk solids toast and smell nutty. The flavour gets deeper, so the polenta tastes rich without needing a bigger portion. That helps on days when a full plate feels like a lot to face.
We tested this with water, stock, and milk. Milk won easily, and it adds about a hundred calories per bowl.
Why it works
Cornmeal simmered in milk absorbs the butter and cheese without turning heavy. A serving carries more energy than its size suggests, and the texture stays soft enough that eating it takes very little effort.
Brown butter parmesan polenta
Ingredients
- 1 cup coarse polenta (not instant)
- 2 cups whole milk149 kcal
- 2 cups water or chicken209 kcal stock
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup finely grated parmesan110 kcal
- 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- A few thyme leaves, to finish (optional)
Method
- Bring the milk and water to a bare simmer with the salt, then whisk in the polenta in a steady stream.
- Drop the heat low and cook 20-25 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until thick and tender.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Let it foam, then turn golden and smell toasty, 3-4 minutes. Take it off the heat.
- Stir most of the parmesan into the polenta, then pour the brown butter over the top and finish with the rest of the cheese and the thyme.
A spoonful of mascarpone stirred in at the end adds another ~120 kcal per serving and makes it even silkier.
Make it your own
- Leftovers set firm in the fridge. Reheat with a splash of milk and they turn creamy again.
- Swap parmesan for fontina or gouda when you want it milder and stretchier.
- Add a soft fried egg72 kcal on top to turn it into a full meal.
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