Easy Oven-Baked Polenta

Easy Oven-Baked Polenta
Traditionally you make polenta atop the stove, slowly drizzling the cornmeal into salted boiling water and stirring all the while until you have a smooth, stiff mixture that will support your standing spoon. (Some cooks believe the polenta must be stirred continually, but others aren’t so orthodox about it.)
I use a less labor-intensive method. I combine the cornmeal and the liquid, put it in the oven and forget about it for 50 minutes. Then I stir in one tablespoon of butter and return it to the oven for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on how thick I want it. That’s it.
1 cup polenta
1 quart water
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the polenta, water and salt in a 2-quart baking dish. Stir together, and place in the oven. Bake 50 minutes. Remove from the oven, and stir in the butter. Use a fork or a spatula to stir the polenta well, and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and stir again. Carefully taste a little bit of the polenta; if the grains are not completely soft, return to the oven for 10 minutes.
Serve right away for soft polenta, or let sit five minutes for a stiffer polenta. Spoon onto a plate. Make a depression in the middle, and serve with the topping of your choice or plain, as a side dish.
Alternatively, for grilling or use in another recipe, allow to chill and stiffen in the baking dish, or scrape into a lightly oiled or buttered bread pan and chill.
Variation: Polenta With Parmesan
When you remove the polenta from the oven, stir in 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan. Serve at once. I like to grind a little black pepper over the top.