Polenta is such a natural base for so many savory foods  more flavorful than either pasta or mashed potatoes, but somehow just as forgiving  that it’s hard to pick a favorite topping. Having said that, I know what mine is: sausage. The fatty succulence of a banger combined with the lean graininess of the cornmeal is somehow perfect.

Many of the polenta toppings I love are essentially sauces, like a beefy stew, a ragù or a mushroom fricassee. The truly wonderful thing about sausage is that, simply pan-grilled, it makes its own sauce. So the combination of sausage and polenta practically boils down to only one challenge: making the polenta.

Polenta, as we know, suffers from the misguided belief that it’s a hassle to make. Experts say you have to “rain in the grain”  adding the cornmeal to a large pot of water while constantly stirring to avoid lumps. And purists can be fussy about what type of cornmeal to use. These notions serve to intimidate the novice or average cook.

Let’s set the record straight: it takes a while to make polenta, and you do have to pay attention. But its high-maintenance reputation is highly overstated. The key is starting out with a slurry, a slush-like mixture of cornmeal and water that you whisk together before cooking. You then put the slurry over not-too-high heat, bring it to a boil, reduce it to a simmer and gradually add more water as needed to keep the mixture smooth and loose. Meanwhile, you cook the sausage. A faster, more satisfying combination I can’t imagine.