Cornmeal

Cornmeal is dried corn (maize) ground into a meal. It can be fine, medium or coarse, and yellow, white or blue, depending on the corn. It has a sweet corn flavor and a gritty, sandy texture. It is used in cornbread, muffins, polenta, grits, and as a crisp coating for fried fish and fritters. It is naturally gluten free, though not always made in a gluten-free mill.

How to do it

For soft polenta:

1. Bring 1 liter (4 cups) of salted water or stock to a boil.
2. Pour in 200 to 250 g (about 1⅓ to 1⅔ cups) of medium or coarse cornmeal in a thin stream, whisking all the time.
3. Turn the heat to low and stir often with a wooden spoon for 30 to 45 minutes, until thick and creamy and the grains no longer feel gritty.
4. Stir in butter and cheese.

For cornbread, bake the batter in a hot, greased cast-iron skillet at 220°C (425°F) for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

How to use it

The words get confusing between countries:

• Cornmeal in the US for the gritty meal, from fine to coarse. Very finely ground cornmeal is sold in the US as corn flour.
• Polenta in the UK, Ireland, Australia and Italy for medium or coarse cornmeal, and for the dish made from it. Instant polenta is precooked and ready in about 5 minutes.
• Maize meal or mealie meal in South Africa and much of southern and eastern Africa, where it is cooked into a stiff porridge.
• Cornflour in the UK means cornstarch, which is pure starch. Do not mix them up.

Masa harina, for tortillas and tamales, is a different product. It is made from corn treated with lime by nixtamalization, and plain cornmeal will not form a dough in its place.

How to store it

Whole-grain (stone-ground) cornmeal keeps the oily germ, so it goes rancid in a few months at room temperature. Keep it in the fridge or freezer. Degermed cornmeal keeps about a year in an airtight container.

Common mistakes

• Dumping cornmeal into boiling water all at once. It forms lumps that never break down.
• Swapping fine cornmeal for coarse polenta, or the other way round, without adjusting. Fine cooks faster and sets firmer.
• Using cornstarch when an American recipe says corn flour. British cornflour is cornstarch, but American corn flour is finely ground cornmeal. They are different things.

In recipes

You will see "1 cup yellow cornmeal", "250 g quick-cook polenta" and "fine cornmeal, for dusting", used under pizza and bread to stop it sticking.