Semolina

Whisk semolina into cold milk or water first, then heat gently, stirring until it thickens; for a smooth bowl, use about 40 g semolina to 500 ml liquid and cook for 5–8 minutes. Finish with butter, sugar, honey or fruit.

Yes. Mix durum wheat semolina with water, knead until smooth, then rest the dough for about 30 minutes before shaping. It makes firm pasta; finer semolina is easier to roll by hand, while coarser grains are useful for dusting the work surface.

It is a sweet, thick milk pudding: slowly whisk semolina into simmering milk and cook, stirring, until tender and creamy. Serve warm or chilled with jam, stewed fruit, cinnamon or nutmeg.

The semolina is cooked into a stiff mixture with milk, butter and cheese, spread out to cool, then cut into discs. Arrange the discs in an overlapping layer, scatter with more cheese and bake at 200 °C until golden, about 20–25 minutes.

Keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dry cupboard, away from strong-smelling foods. Use a clean, dry spoon; once opened, it keeps best when protected from moisture and pantry pests.

Not as a like-for-like swap: polenta is ground maize, while semolina is usually ground wheat, and it gives dishes a different flavour and texture. For semolina pudding or pasta, use a wheat-based alternative; for dusting a baking tray, polenta can work if a coarser, corn-flavoured crust is welcome.

Yes. Semolina is usually made from wheat, so it contains gluten and is not suitable for someone who needs to avoid wheat or gluten. Check the ingredient name carefully, especially on packets labelled simply “semolina”.

No. Semolina is a coarse wheat product; couscous is made by rolling moistened semolina into small granules and drying them. Couscous cooks quickly by steaming or soaking, while semolina is commonly cooked as porridge or made into pasta.