Why it works: Butter and cheese are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 7,962 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
To Make Polenta
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the polenta
In a pot, combine 1 quart of water and 1 large spoonful of butter.
In a bowl, mix cornmeal with cold water and salt until smooth.
Add the cornmeal mixture to the hot buttered water.
Let it boil, stirring continuously until thickened.
Once it can be handled, form it into a ball.
Let it cool completely.
Layer and bake
Cut the cooled polenta into thin slices.
Layer the slices in the bottom of a deep dish.
Add slices of cheese and bits of butter on top of the polenta.
Repeat the layers until the dish is full.
Top with thin slices of cheese and butter.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 20 to 30 minutes.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Butter + cheesetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,962 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cornmeal
- Forms the thickened body of the polenta as it cooks and then sets when cooled.
- Butter
- Adds richness and fat, giving a softer, more tender texture to the polenta and layers.
- Cheese
- Melts between the polenta layers, adding richness and savory flavor as it bakes.
The step that matters
Stirring while the cornmeal boils. Cornmeal can settle and scorch on the bottom of the pot or form lumps if not stirred constantly while it thickens, so keep stirring until it is fully thickened.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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