Potato cornmeal mush from Val Giudicarie
Peel the potatoes and boil them in salted water.
When they are cooked, remove them with a slotted spoon, paying attention not to drain them too much.
Put them immediately in a copper pot over a moderate wood fire and season with salt, to taste, flavoring with a pinch of pepper.
Using a special pestle called "trisa", thoroughly crush the potatoes against the side of the pot, incorporating a bit at a time, three handfuls of cornmeal.
Add the cornmeal and stir with the "trisa" for about 20 minutes till the mass of potatoes and corn meal comes away from the sides of the pot.
Meanwhile, chop the cheese and sauté in a saucepan 20 g of butter, some thinly sliced shallots with a couple of tablespoon of olive oil. As soon as these begin to turn golden, add the diced bacon and brown until these cubes will be almost crispy.
Sprinkle with a generous splash of Grappa and after a few moments, incorporate them along with the previously chopped cheese, potato polenta, stirring constantly with the "trisa" until you get the melted cheese.
Finally, pour the cornmeal on the appropriate wooden cutting board and serve it immediately.
Recommended Grappa:
Poli Cleopatra Prosecco Oro
Recipe from the book "Grappa & Cucina. Nella tradizione delle Venezie".
- Ingredients:
3 kg dumplings potatoes from Trentino (white and powdery)
300 g "cioncada" cheese (local low-fat cheese)
300 g rolled and cured bacon
coarse grained cornmeal
Mountain butter
Olive oil
3-4 shallots
Grappa
Salt and pepper - Author:
- Sergio Boschetto, Galliano Rosset, Amedeo Sandri
- Typology:
- Appetizers
- Preparation time:
- About 40 minutes
- Notes:
- This is a typical dish of polenta from Pieve di Bono’s basin, in the province of Trento, within Val Giudicarie. It is eaten as a starter, combining it with pickles or gherkins or as a main dish during the days of celebration, when it is the ideal sidedish for succulent meat skewers.
