Posh as it may sound, polenta is merely mealie pap. But it's what you do with it that counts and it's a great alternative to regular starch.

Polenta is the pasta of the north of Italy; that's where corn grows well.

It's the course yellow stuff that's most popular, except in the Venetian area where white polenta is preferred.

Italians regard instant polenta much the same way as we consider instant mash. 

To make proper polenta takes a lot of stirring, but in Stephanie Alexander's The Cook's Companion (Viking), she teaches an excellent method of cooking this uncomplicated starch.

Even though the cooking time is long, it won't need too much of your attention, and the finished polenta is light and fluffy.

Top tip: Polenta, made from corn, is gluten-free, so great if you are sensitive to gluten, or have coeliac disease.

HOW TO COOK POLENTA (Serves 6 - 8)

• Choose a heatproof bowl that will take 12 cups and fits snugly over a large stockpot or pasta pot.
• Pour 8 cups boiling water into the bowl and add 2 teaspoons salt.
• Add 2 cups polenta and whisk thoroughly for 4 - 5 minutes until it thickens evenly.
• Tuck a large sheet of foil over the bowl and seal edges well.
• Fit the bowl over a large stock-pot or pasta pot, two-thirds filled with boioing water.
• Adjust the heat, so that it maintains a steady boil.
• Every 20 minutes lift the bowl off the pot (be careful of the steam), remove the foil and give the polenta a good stir, right through to the bottom, then reseal.
• Cook for about 1 1/2 hours or until the polenta is soft.
• If you like, stir in a few spoonfuls of butter, mascarpone or olive oil.
• It's delicious just like this, with perhaps a few shavings of Parmesan.

VARIATIONS

• Pack into a dish and refrigerate, covered, to firm.
• Drizzle with olive oil and bake or grill until golden.
• Serve on the side with roasts, golden chicken, rosemary lamb or rose-rare beef.
• Top with ham, mozzarella or gorgonzola. If you like, return to the grill to melt and bubble. Serve as a light meal with salad.

SERVE SOFT POLENTA WITH:

• A meaty Italian-style stew or bean hot pot
• A ragout of chunky Mediterranean vegetables
• A tomato-based sauce and shavings of Parmesan

TRY THESE POLENTA RECIPES:

• Broccoli and gorgonzola polenta
• Polenta pizzas with mozzarella, baby tomatoes and rocket
• Orange and ricotta polenta cake with lime labneh
• Blueberry and vanilla polenta cake