An all time favorite for Romanians - Polenta
Hello everyone!
I'm not sure I was supposed to post anything today, but I realized this recipe wasn't moved from my old cooking blog. I thought it might be time I moved it.
Quite honestly, I almost forgot I still had recipes on that old blog.
As you'll see, the pics are very bad, undated, but they're from at least 2015. That's why they're bad and I don't have a visual step-by-step of the process.
Ok, below you'll see the "original" post. Enjoy your reading!
Coming to Romania you'll want to try some traditional food, even though I don't believe there is any dish that is exclusively "traditional Romanian." What you'll eat instead is food almost every Romanian knows how to make, especially in the countryside. Sadly, eating this in the capital, might not taste the same as it would in some forsaken village, but this doesn't mean it won't be tasty.
Polenta seems to be every peasant's replacement for bread and therefore eaten mostly with other foods. However polenta is so popular it can be eaten by itself as well.. well sort of by itself. Mixing it with butter and some type of salty cheese will make it delicious and a dish that can be served as a stand-alone.
- 1 liter of water (or less)
- some cornflour, better known as polenta in some countries. [all i know its that it's dry, yellow, rough, and made of corn]
- some salt
- between 1 and 3 spoons of butter - margarine also works
- some cheese - feta cheese is just an example. Make sure the cheese melts, you'll thank me later.
- Optional:
- black pepper
- boiled egg
- bacon or sausages
- Place the water with salt on fire and bring it to a boil.
- When it starts to boil, start slowly adding the polenta-corn flour. Make sure to mix in a circular motion with a wooden spoon. You're better off at mixing with its handle - it mixes better, trust me on this one. Make sure it boils well!
- Cut the cheese into small cubes. Best size? about half your thumb finger.
- Add the cornflour until the mixture thickens and sticks to your spoon. It is done when you have the impression you can form balls with it, without them falling apart. You'll want it rather thick and sticky than runny or soft.
- Add the butter and mix well. The butter will soften the mixture - this is what you want.
- Add the cheese and mix. The cheese will start melting - this is what you want to happen. ;)
- Add some black pepper on top after you serve on a dish or in a bowl.
This dish is best served hot, especially in winter, but having it cold in summer is just fine too.
I like it warm regardless of the season, lol. You could say this is a type of comfort food for me.
Here I had it with some fried soy pieces and some bell pepper. You can have it with sauerkraut, sausages, fish, and almost any other food that has sauce.
Bon Apettit!
PS: yes, all these failed pics are mine -_-' I need to make polenta again and to take better pics of the process.
© Charly Cross 2013 - present.