Bacon Sage Polenta

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 4 cups water, plus extra as needed
• 1 cup traditional polenta or quick cook polenta
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• slat and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. 1

   Cook bacon in heavy, large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp [I used a 5-quart sauté pan, which was perfect]. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from skillet. Add sage and corn; sauté 1 minute. Add 4 cups water and increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Gradually whisk in polenta.

2. 2

   Reduce heat to low; cook until polenta begins to thicken, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes, if you’re using traditional polenta. For quick cooking polenta, total cooking time will be about 5 minutes. Also, as you “gradually” stir it in, it will thicken quickly—alarmingly even. If needed, add more water 1/2 cup at a time. Being stuck with the quick-cooking variety, I ended up adding a little more than a cup of extra water. Stir in Parmesan cheese and bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.