How do you make polenta creamy instead of lumpy?

Lumpy polenta is a timing problem, not a talent problem. Lumps form in the first minute, when dry cornmeal lands in hot water and the outside of each little clump swells and seals before the inside gets wet. Get that first minute right and the rest is patience and a wooden spoon.

The first minute: rain, whisk, don't stop

• Start with simmering, salted liquid. Water is the classic; milk, or half milk and half water, makes it softer and richer; a light vegetable stock adds savouriness. Salt it at the start so the grains absorb it as they cook.
• Pour the cornmeal in a thin, steady rain. Hold it in a jug or let it run through your fingers. Never tip it in as a heap.
• Whisk the whole time you are pouring. A balloon whisk keeps every grain moving and separate.
• Then lower the heat. As soon as the cornmeal is in and the mixture starts to thicken, turn the heat down to a lazy blip. Polenta that bubbles hard spits like a volcano and catches on the bottom.

If you do get a few lumps, don't despair. Press them against the side of the pan with the back of the spoon, or give the pot a brief go with a stick blender before it thickens fully.

Liquid by feel, not by numbers

Packets give ratios, and they are a fine place to start, but cornmeal varies with the grind and the brand. We judge by texture:

• Early on, it looks thin and soupy. That is right.
• As it cooks, it thickens and starts to pull away from the sides when you stir.
• If it turns stiff and heavy before the grains taste cooked, add a splash of hot water or milk and stir it in. Keep a kettle or a small pan of hot liquid nearby for this. Cold liquid stops the cooking and can make new lumps.

For soft, spoonable polenta to serve with sauces, aim for something like a thick porridge that slowly settles when you drop it from the spoon. For polenta you mean to set, slice and grill, let it get thicker. (What to do with set polenta has its own page: leftover polenta.)

Low heat and regular stirring

Traditional polenta is cooked slowly and stirred a lot, and that is where its reputation for being a chore comes from. The good news: you don't need to stir every second. Stir thoroughly every few minutes, scraping the bottom and the corners, and keep the heat low. Instant or quick-cook polenta is made for busy evenings and is perfectly good; follow the packet and use the same finishing tricks.

The cue that it is done is taste, not the clock. Take a little on a spoon, let it cool for a moment and bite: the grains should feel soft, without a raw, gritty edge. It should also smell sweet and toasty, like corn.

The finish: where creamy really happens

Off the heat, stir in the richness:

• Butter, a generous knob, for gloss.
• Grated Parmigiano or Grana Padano, for savoury depth and extra body. Taste for salt afterwards, since the cheese brings its own.
• Mascarpone or a spoonful of soft cheese, for something luxurious.
• Good olive oil, if you prefer a lighter, peppery finish.

Then serve it straight away, or cover the pan; polenta firms up as it cools.

What to put on it

• Slow-cooked mushrooms with garlic and thyme, or a few soaked dried porcini in the mix.
• A spoonful of tomato sauce and a soft egg.
• Braised greens with chilli and lemon.
• Roast squash and sage butter.
• Simply more cheese and black pepper, which is never the wrong answer.