OVEN BAKED POLENTA No-stir method of cooking polenta. Cooked this way the polenta turns out wonderfully creamy. For soft polenta 5 parts liquid to 1 part cornmeal For medium polenta 4 parts liquid to 1 part cornmeal Serves 6 2 cups medium coarse or coarse grind corn meal 8 Cups water 2 tablespoons butter 2 teaspoons salt 1. Preheat the over to 350˚F. Grease a 12 inch cazuela or ovenproof casserole. Add the cornmeal, water butter and salt and stir with a fork until blended. (It will separate, but don’t worry—it won’t come together for more than half the cooking time.) Bake uncovered for 1 hour and 20 minutes. 2. Stir the polenta with a long-pronged for, season with additional salt to taste, and bake for 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before pouring onto a wooden pizza shovel or into a buttered bowl. Adapted from The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen, Paula Wolfert.