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Creamy Polenta with Bacon and Sage

Water or stock can be substituted for any or all of the milk, but milk makes a creamier polenta.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4

Ingredients

2 ounces thickly sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage leaves, plus more whole leaves for garnish
4 cups milk
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons quick-cooking polenta
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or more to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (optional)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the bacon, and cook until crisp and golden, about 8 minutes. Remove the bacon from the saucepan; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Set aside.

    Step 2

    Add the chopped sage to the saucepan, and cook in the bacon fat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the milk, and bring to a boil.

    Step 3

    Add the polenta in a steady stream, whisking constantly until it is smooth and creamy, about 6 minutes. Whisk in the butter, and season with the salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl, and crumble the reserved bacon on top. Heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the whole sage leaves, and fry until crisp, about 30 seconds. Remove from the skillet; scatter over the polenta. Serve immediately.

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Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group. Buy the full book from Amazon.
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