- 2 tablespoons chicken fat or olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 5 cups low-salt chicken broth
- 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
- 1 cup medium-grain polenta (coarse cornmeal; such as Alpina Savoie)
- 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
- Ingredient info: If you don't have polenta on hand, substitute an equal amount of regular yellow cornmeal and cook half as long.
- Heat chicken fat in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion; cover and cook 5 minutes (do not brown). Add broth, 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt, and saffron; bring to boil. Whisk in polenta. Cook, whisking constantly, until polenta boils and starts to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover; simmer until polenta is cooked through and very thick, stirring with flat- bottom spoon, about 10 minutes longer.
- Meanwhile, blend corn kernels in processor until coarse puree forms; mix into polenta. Season with pepper. DO AHEAD: can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Stir over low heat to rewarm.