Ingredients
6 cups boiling water
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1¼ cups coarse ground corn meal
¼ cup onion chopped in small dice
Leaves from 1-sprig of fresh thyme
½ cup fresh spinach chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Preparation
Heat six cups of water to boiling over medium heat in an uncovered 4 Quart Stock Pot and add ½ teaspoon coarse salt.
Whisk in 1-1/4 cups coarse ground corn meal. Add the cornmeal slowly and whisk continuously to avoid lumps. Cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
Continue whisking. (Constant whisking helps the cornmeal to cook without lumps and avoids burning. Don’t let it start spitting. This mixture is hot and sticky.)
Add ¼ cup of diced onion and the thyme leaves. Stir everything with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking the mixture for an additional 5-10 minutes.
Stir in ½ cup of chopped spinach and 2 Tablespoons of butter. Season the dish with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and serve.
Notes
Variation: Add ¼ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese and top with Italian sausage for a wintertime lunch.