Wheat Free Biscuits For Summer Entertaining

jones weekly food column

This week at jones the grocer, I came across a tasty versatile biscuit recipe using Polenta. I thought anyone on a wheat-free diet may enjoy this one!

Polenta Parmesan Biscuits

Try this quick and easy recipe to create delicious wheat free biscuits that are ideal served with a platter of cheeses, spreads and meats. Even though they are wheat free, they are delicious due to the lashings of parmesan and herbs and really make a difference instead of the old plain cracker.

You can replace the cheese with sugar and add peel and spice to create a sweet version that can be served with coffee or fruit desserts for something different.

Using jones Molino Italian Polenta

Method:

1. Heat a large pot and melt 50g of unsalted butter.
2. Add 200g of polenta and allow to brown slightly, mixing the butter through the grains well.
3. Add 2 C of water and 1 C of milk slowly and stir constantly to combine well.
4. Whilst you are cooking the polenta, add ½ C of finely grated Grana Padana or Parmiggiano Reggiano, five or six leaves of fresh sage (or thyme) well chopped, 1 clove of crushed garlic, freshly ground black pepper and 1 t. salt.
5. If the mix is quite wet add a little more polenta or too dry add a little more milk.
6. Cooking time will take approx. 6-10 mins on a low heat, stirring occasionally but be careful that it doesn’t catch and burn. You will know it is cooked if you try a wee bit and it isn’t too gritty on the tongue.
7. Tip out the mix onto a tray lined with a long length of grad wrap. Spread over half of the sheet and then carefully roll to form a long roll about the thickness of a 2-dollar coin. This will be the size of your biscuits so make the roll bigger or smaller if you desire.
8. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until the roll is firm and can be handled easily. Unroll carefully and cut roll into slices approx. 2 cm thick and place on a well-greased tray.
9. Place in preheated oven at 180C and bake until golden brown on one side. Flip the biscuits over and allow to brown. Remove and allow to cool and crispen.
10. These will keep in an airtight container for up to a week

What is Polenta?

Wikipedia definition:

Polenta is made with ground yellow or white cornmeal, (ground maize). It can be ground coarsely or finely depending on the region and the texture desired. As it is known today, polenta derives from earlier forms of grain mush (known as puls or pulmentum in Latin or more commonly as gruel or porridge) commonly eaten in Roman times and after. Early forms of polenta were made with such starches as the grain farro and chestnut flour, both of which are still used in small quantity today. When boiled, polenta has a smooth creamy texture due to the gelatinization of starch in the grain, though it may not be completely homogenous if a coarse grind or a particularly hard grain such as flint corn is used.

---

For jones inquiries, please contact: newmarket [at] jonesthegrocer.com or ph: 09 522 9161.

Pop in to check out jones’ stylish store at 143 Carlton Gore Rd, Newmarket, Auckland. Parking is available at the rear of the store.

Open: MON 7:00am - 4:30pm | TUES-FRI: 7:00am - 6:00pm | SAT-SUN: 8:00am - 5:00pm