Non-VegetarianAlpine Italian cuisine Main Course

Polenta Carbonera

Name: Polenta Carbonera
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Alpine Italian
Ingredients: 350 g coarse yellow cornmeal; 1400 ml Water; 10 g Fine sea salt; 250 g trentino luganega sausage; 60 g Unsalted butter; 60 ml Dry red wine; 150 g spressa delle giudicarie cheese; 60 g vezzena cheese; 1 pinch Black pepper

Coarse yellow polenta vigorously beaten with browned luganega sausage, rich butter, and melting mountain cheeses, historically cooked by Trentino charcoal burners in forest cauldrons.

🇮🇹Italy· Trentino-Alto Adige

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 50 min
Total: 65 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 680 kcal

Ingredients

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Servings

350 g coarse yellow cornmeal — ideally Trentino Storo or bramata
1400 ml Water — fresh cold water
10 g Fine sea salt — for the cooking water
250 g trentino luganega sausage — casing removed and crumbled
60 g Unsalted butter — cubed
60 ml Dry red wine — such as Teroldego or Marzemino
150 g spressa delle giudicarie cheese — semi-aged Alpine cheese, diced
60 g vezzena cheese — aged mountain cheese, finely grated
1 pinch Black pepper — freshly cracked

Equipment

•heavy-based copper or cast-iron pot
•wooden polenta stick or sturdy wooden spoon
•frying pan
•whisk
•chef knife

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 680 kcal
fat: 34 g
carbs: 68 g
fibre: 5 g
protein: 26 g
calories: 680 kcal

Instructions

1
Bring the salted water to a steady rolling boil in a heavy-bottomed pot.
2
Pour in the cornmeal in a thin stream while whisking continuously to avoid lumps forming.
3
Switch to a sturdy wooden spoon and simmer on low heat for 40 minutes, stirring frequently until thick.
4
Crumble the sausage meat into a frying pan set over medium heat.
5
Cook the sausage until deeply browned and sizzling, breaking it into small pieces.
6
Pour the red wine into the sausage pan and bubble until completely reduced.
7
Tip the browned sausage and its rendered pan juices into the hot polenta.
8
Beat the butter and diced Spressa cheese vigorously into the polenta until partially melted.
9
Stir in the grated aged Vezzena cheese and black pepper until stringy ribbons form.
10
Pour the steaming polenta onto a round wooden board and serve immediately.

Chef's tips

Use coarse stoneground cornmeal for an authentic robust texture. Adding the diced semi-aged cheese right at the end creates delectable molten pockets throughout the dish. Keep a kettle of boiling water nearby to loosen the polenta if it thickens too quickly.

Ingredient substitutions

Spressa delle Giudicarie cheese → young Asiago, Fontina, or mild mountain Tomme
Vezzena cheese → aged Grana Padano or Piave Vecchio
Trentino luganega sausage → coarse sweet Italian pork sausage

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Reheating

Slice the cold set polenta into thick slabs and fry in butter in a hot skillet until crisp on the edges.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Pouring in the cornmeal all at once, which creates stubborn dry lumps.
•Neglecting to stir the bottom of the pot, causing the polenta to scorch.
•Using pre-cooked instant polenta, which lacks the essential coarse texture and depth of flavour.

Serving suggestions

Serve family-style directly from a large wooden board in the centre of the table.Pair with a glass of robust Trentino red wine such as Teroldego Rotaliano.Accompany with braised savoy cabbage or pickled wild forest mushrooms.