Polenta with cheese: the perfect combination. Video
Polenta is an ancient uncomplicated dish that has always been considered food for the poorest. It looks like porridge or hominy, but certainly from corn grits. Polenta was prepared in Italy, in the Balkans, in Switzerland. However, over the years, the old recipe has gained such popularity that polenta has become a gourmet food all over the world. In the classic form, the recipe involves the use of several types of cheese.
The popularity of polenta is largely related to the importance of this dish in the diet. This Italian food is high in protein, fiber and low in fat. Also, polenta contains minerals that are quite important for the human body (potassium, iron, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus) and vitamins (B vitamins prevail, vitamin E, biotin and beta-carotene are present).
Ingredients for a classic recipe
You will need: – 400 g of finely ground corn grits; – salt to taste; – 200 g of cream cheese; – a few sprigs of herbs (cilantro, parsley, thyme); – 100 g of emmental cheese; – butter for greasing a baking sheet; – 100 g cheese with blue mold.
Polenta was traditionally cooked in a very deep copper kettle, chefs used wholemeal cornmeal or even crushed corn kernels.
Boil a quart of water in a large saucepan, then reduce heat and salt to taste. Add finely ground cornmeal in a thin trickle. It should be poured slowly, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
Polenta can also be cooked in a mixture of water and milk, usually taken in a 1 to 2 or 1 to 1 ratio.
Cook for about 30 minutes and stir all the time. Note that as the polenta thickens, it becomes more difficult to stir. But this must be done. Determine the readiness of the dish by whether the polenta lags behind the sides of the pan: if so, you can turn off the heat.
Grease a baking sheet with high sides, line the cooked porridge in a layer of about 2 cm. Smooth with a damp wooden spatula, then cover with a clean cloth or towel and leave to cool for an hour.
Next, cut the polenta into 6-8 cm squares. Chop the herbs, mash the blue cheese with a fork, then add the cream cheese, half the chopped herbs and stir everything very thoroughly.
Spread each square quite thickly with the resulting cheese mixture. Then fold them all in two, inside with the missed side, and press down with your hands. Grate emmental cheese on a coarse grater. Sprinkle each serving of polenta on one side. Place everything on a greased baking sheet and place in an oven preheated to 180 ° C. Bake 15 minutes until golden brown.
It is customary to serve classic polenta as an independent dish, you can use one or another sauce, such as tomato or soy. However, it also perfectly serves as a side dish for meat or fish, combined with vegetables such as pumpkin or zucchini, as well as with legumes.