ITALIAN STYLE POLENTA WITH HOMEMADE ITALIAN SAUSAGE # 187

Why does Italian polenta sound so much better than corn meal mush?  For some reason polenta looks and tastes better than cornmeal.  Polenta is also very similar to rissotto in that like rissotto goes with many different other foods. Also  Polenta can be used with various kinds of cheeses, tomato sauce, Italian sausage, butter, milk, mushrooms, and many other additions.  The recipe I am giving you is one with the addition of  homemade Italian sausage.  Its a traditional combination that I think you will enjoy though you can replace the sausage with some other meat or even vegtables.
INGREDIENTS:
    6, 4 inch pieces, homemade Italian sausage
    (see recipe # 25)
    6 cups water that you have in a large pot
    and boil
    3 cups of milk
    2 1/4 cups cornmeal
    1/2 stick of butter
    1/2 cup parmesan cheese
    1 tbls salt
DIRECTIONS:
     1. pour the 6 cups of water into a
        large soup pot over moderately
        high heat. let cool slightly
    2. add the 1 tbls salt and the milk
       and stir well until incorporated
    3. slowly add the corn meal fairly
        rapidly so you don't get lumps;
        add dthe parmesan cheese into
        the polenta and mix it until it is
        well incorporated as you continue to
        stir it with a whisk until it begins to get thick.
    4. now change the whisk with a
        wooden spoon which you continue
        to stir it for some 50 to 60 minutes
    5. in a large fry pan add 3/4 cup of sparkling
       wine and 2 sprigs of rosemary which you
       have removed from the stem.
   6. now add  the pieces of sausage in the fry pan
       turning them over every so often for
       about 8 or so minutes and set aside
   7. there are 2 ways of  bringing the
      polenta together:
           first method is to use a heat proof bowl
     that holds about 2 qts; cut the sausage
     long ways in half and place them around
     the inside of  the bowl; then pour the polenta
    in the bowl and fill it and smooth the top so that
   its even and cook about 40 minutes and its ready
  to serve by turning it upside down.  the oil from
 the sausage should make the polenta to free itself
 from the sides of the bowl
     second method is to use a 9 inch by 13 inch
     oven proof glass pan and put the polenta in it
     and smooth the top evenly; then again cut the
    sausage in half length wise and put the sausage
    on the top slightly pushing the sausage into the
    polenta
7. you may cut the polenta into pieces for either
   method and serve