Polenta Taragna

Name: Polenta Taragna
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Lombarda
Ingredients: 1500 ml Water; 12 g Fine sea salt; 150 g farina di grano saraceno (coarse buckwheat flour); 150 g farina di mais bramata (coarse yellow polenta meal); 250 g valtellina casera dop (lombard semi-aged mountain cow's milk cheese); 100 g Unsalted butter

A rich, dark buckwheat and maize polenta vigorously beaten with butter and melting mountain cheese until smooth and stringy.

🇮🇹Italy· Lombardy

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 50 min
Total: 60 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 540 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 6 gathered

Servings

1500 ml Water
12 g Fine sea salt
150 g farina di grano saraceno (coarse buckwheat flour)
150 g farina di mais bramata (coarse yellow polenta meal)
250 g valtellina casera dop (lombard semi-aged mountain cow's milk cheese) — rind removed, cut into 1 cm cubes
100 g Unsalted butter — diced into cubes

Equipment

•Heavy-bottomed pot or copper paiolo
•Long-handled wooden spoon
•Chef's knife
•Whisk

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 540 kcal
fat: 28 g
carbs: 52 g
fibre: 5 g
protein: 21 g
calories: 540 kcal

Instructions

1
Bring the water to a rolling boil in a heavy pot and stir in the salt.
2
Combine the buckwheat flour and coarse maize flour in a dry bowl.
3
Pour the mixed flours gradually into the boiling water, whisking vigorously to avoid any lumps.
4
Switch to a sturdy wooden spoon once the mixture thickens into a porridge.
5
Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 45 minutes, stirring frequently.
6
Scrape the bottom and sides thoroughly while stirring to keep the polenta from sticking.
7
Add the cubed butter to the pot and beat until completely incorporated.
8
Fold in the cubed Casera cheese until it melts into thick, stretchy ribbons.
9
Pour immediately onto a warm wooden board or wide heated serving bowls.

Chef's tips

Keep a small pan of simmering water ready on the stove so you can loosen the polenta if it becomes too stiff before finishing. Always fold the cheese in right at the end away from direct fierce heat to prevent the fats from splitting.

Ingredient substitutions

Valtellina Casera DOP → Bitto DOP, Branzi, Fontina DOP, or mild young Gruyère
farina di mais bramata → coarse stoneground yellow cornmeal

Storage

Store cooled leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheating

Slice the cold, firm polenta into thick slabs and pan-fry in foaming butter until golden and crisp on both sides.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Dumping all the flour in at once, which creates persistent dry clumps.
•Cooking over high heat without stirring, which scorches the base and taints the flavour.
•Adding the cheese too early, which causes it to separate into grease rather than forming molten strings.

Serving suggestions

Serve piping hot on a round wooden polenta board alongside roasted luganega sausages.Pair with braised beef, rich game stews, or butter-sautéed porcini mushrooms.