POLENTA

It’s cold ,what’s better than a flavorful polenta dish comfort food

Polenta (Basic recipe)

500gr polenta flour
2 liters water
2 tea spoon rock salt

Heat the water and when it boils add the flour, beating it with a whisk to prevent it going lumpy. Continue mixing with a wooden spoon, until it starts to boil again. Then continue mixing at a moderate heat for about 45 minutes. Midway through cooking add salt. When the polenta comes away from the sides of the pot it is ready. Leave it aside for a few minutes and then use it according to your favourite recipe.
The quantities indicated are for a normal polenta,which is poured onto a special board called " tafferia" or into a mould. If you want a more solid polenta so that you can cut and then fry it, use less water. If you want a thinner polenta,use more water.

Polenta pasticciata

350g polenta flour
200g sausage
200g minced beef
500g peeled plum tomatoes
1 onion
150g fontina cheese
80g parmigiano
1 small glass white wine
oil

Cook the polenta , then turn it upside-down onto a plate and leave to cool. Chop the onion and lightly fry it in 4 spoonfuls of oil. Add the meat and sausage. Pour on the white wine and let it evaporate. Add the chopped tomatoes,salt and pepper and cook for 20 minutes.Add the parmigiano.. Slice the polenta. Butter the inside of an oven-dish, place a layer of polenta,a layer of sauce, a layer of fontina,a layer of polenta and a layer of sauce. Place in the oven at 190°C for 30 minutes

A vegetarian dish can be obtained substituting the beef and sausage with different kinds of cheese, such as gorgonzola, mozzarella .