Polenta e Osei
A traditional Bergamo speciality featuring pan-roasted quails wrapped in pancetta with sage, served over steaming soft yellow polenta with pan juices.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 580 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-bottomed pot
- •Wooden spoon
- •Large sauté pan
- •Kitchen twine
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 580 kcal
- fat
- 24 g
- carbs
- 56 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 38 g
- calories
- 580 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Bring the salted water to a rolling boil in a heavy-bottomed pot.
- 2
Rain in the coarse cornmeal slowly, whisking continuously to prevent lumps from forming.
- 3
Switch to a wooden spoon and cook on low heat for forty-five minutes, stirring frequently until thick.
- 4
Season the cavity and outside of each quail with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
- 5
Press sage leaves against each bird and wrap tightly with two slices of pancetta.
- 6
Secure the pancetta and legs with kitchen twine to keep the birds compact during cooking.
- 7
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
- 8
Brown the quails on all sides until the pancetta is crisp and golden.
- 9
Pour in the white wine and simmer until the alcohol aroma completely cooks off.
- 10
Add the warm stock, cover tightly, and simmer gently for twenty minutes until the meat is tender.
- 11
Uncover the pan and simmer for three minutes until the cooking juices reduce into a glossy sauce.
- 12
Spread the hot soft polenta onto a wooden board, set the quails on top, and pour over the pan juices.
Chef's tips
Wrapping the lean quail meat securely in pancetta is essential to retain moisture during browning. For the polenta, using traditional coarse bramata flour delivers the authentic, slightly textured consistency prized in Bergamo.
Ingredient substitutions
- quail → poussin or young partridge
- pancetta → unsmoked streaky bacon slices
Storage
Store leftover quails and polenta in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat the quails gently in a covered pan with a splash of broth, and slice leftover firm polenta to griddle in butter.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Pouring the cornmeal in all at once, creating stubborn flour clumps in the polenta.
- •Cooking the quails over fierce heat, which dries out the delicate lean breast meat.
- •Discarding the rich pan drippings instead of spooning them generously over the polenta.
Serving suggestions
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