Ingredient Clarification for Blackberry Galette

Asked by Flute_Nerd42. Answered on 24th September 2014

Full question

For this month's cookalong, the crust calls for polenta, as a "dry ingredient". The only form I've been able to find polenta is in a tube, and it is already moist. Is the goal for the recipe to just use truly dry cornmeal, or should I use the moister prepared polenta?

Our answer

Nigella's Blackberry Galette (from Domestic Goddess and on the Nigella website) has a cormeal pastry crust. The cornmeal or polenta is useful in the crust as it helps to absorb some of the juice from the blackberries, without becoming too soggy. The recipe does require dry polenta or cornmeal.

The polenta sold in tubes is already cooked and is reheated (often by baking and frying) and would not be suitable for this recipe. It is too wet and would be difficult to combine with the other ingredients. Polenta can be bought from most main UK and US supermarkets now (it is usually in the pasta and grains section) or you can buy it in Italian delis. You could also use fine cornmeal which again is in many supermarkets and also in health food or natural food stores.