Polenta With Cheese

The northern regions have such an affinity for polenta that the residents are referred to as "polentoni" (big polentas) but they don't care; they have a lot of ways to enjoy the dish. This one from Lake Como area is a fine example - Polenta with Cheese. Hearty, warming and delicious. It is also called "polenta alla lariana" in reference to Lake Como's other local name, Lake Lario.

Polenta is a cornmeal dish, not unlike southern grits in the U.S. It is cooked in water with constant stirring then poured out while it is malleable. Some dishes call for the polenta to sit and become firm, but this isn't one of them! You want it soft and creamy. This dish will be baked in a casserole. It is simple, but does have a few steps, so read through the whole recipe before beginning.

Cooking time will depend on whether you have traditional cornmeal or faster-cooking polenta, so follow the package recommendations on water-to-polenta ratio and cooking time.

In any case, you're going to boil the water, add a pat of butter and a bit of salt and bring it to a boil. When it starts to boil, sprinkle in the polenta in a "shower" while you stir, to keep it from clumping. Keep stirring while it cooks, on low heat.

What Cheese to Use: Fontina, Taleggio, Emmenthal or Casoretta all work well. You'll slice the cheese that will be placed on layers of the casserole before it bakes. This dish is especially good if you have individaul terrines or ramekins so each diner gets his or her own cheese-covered dish!
You will also want a small quantity of grated Grana Padano, Parmigiano or Pecorino cheese. You can stir some into the polenta before placing it in the casserole, and sprinkle some on top of the other cheese before baking.

The Flavored Butter: Melt some butter in a small pan and add a couple of cloves of garlic, halved, with a few sage leaves. Don't let the butter burn, just saute a little to infuse the flavors into the butter. Discard the garlic and sage. This gets drizzled over the top of everything.

Putting It Together: Place a few spoons of polenta in the bottom of the casserole dish, top with some cheese slices, then polenta, then cheese. Sprinkle on the grated cheese, then drizzle on the flavored butter.

Bake for a few minutes to get it all hot and melty, and serve!