Polenta Uncia

Name: Polenta Uncia
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Lombarda
Ingredients: 300 g coarse yellow cornmeal (polenta bramata); 1.2 l Water; 10 g Fine sea salt; 250 g semuda cheese; 60 g grana padano dop; 120 g Unsalted butter; 12 leaves fresh sage leaves; 3 cloves Garlic cloves; 2 g freshly ground black pepper

A rich Lake Como speciality of yellow cornmeal polenta layered with local cheese, then drenched in foaming sage and garlic butter.

🇮🇹Italy· Lombardy

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 50 min
Total: 65 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 610 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

300 g coarse yellow cornmeal (polenta bramata) — traditional stoneground coarse grain
1¼ l Water — fresh cold water
10 g Fine sea salt — for salting the water
250 g semuda cheese — or Valtellina Casera DOP, diced into small cubes
60 g grana padano dop — finely grated
120 g Unsalted butter — fresh mountain butter preferred
12 leaves fresh sage leaves — whole and washed
3 cloves Garlic cloves — peeled and lightly crushed
2 g freshly ground black pepper — to finish

Equipment

•Heavy-bottomed pot or copper paiolo
•Wooden spoon
•Small frying pan
•Warm serving dish

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 610 kcal
fat: 34 g
carbs: 58 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 18 g
calories: 610 kcal

Instructions

1
Bring the water to a boil in a heavy pot, then stir in the fine sea salt.
2
Pour in the polenta bramata in a steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps.
3
Switch to a sturdy wooden spoon and cook on low heat for 45 minutes, stirring frequently.
4
Melt the butter in a small pan over medium-low heat with the whole sage leaves and crushed garlic.
5
Let the butter sizzle gently until it turns hazelnut brown and fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic.
6
Remove the garlic cloves from the foaming brown butter and set the pan aside.
7
Spoon one third of the hot cooked polenta into a warm serving bowl.
8
Scatter over half of the diced semuda cheese and half of the grated Grana Padano.
9
Layer the remaining polenta and cheeses in the same way, finishing with cheese on top.
10
Pour the bubbling hot sage butter directly over the cheese layers so it melts through completely.
11
Finish with a light grind of black pepper and serve immediately while piping hot.

Chef's tips

Use stoneground coarse cornmeal (bramata) rather than instant polenta to achieve the correct rustic texture. Make sure the butter is foaming and genuinely hot when poured so it melts the cheese layers instantly. Keep stirring the polenta all the way to the bottom to develop a rich flavour without scorching.

Ingredient substitutions

semuda cheese → Valtellina Casera DOP, Fontina DOP, or mild Taleggio
Grana Padano DOP → Parmigiano Reggiano DOP

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 2 days.

Reheating

Reheat slices in a lightly buttered skillet over medium heat until the base is crisp and the cheese softens.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Using buckwheat flour instead of coarse yellow cornmeal, which creates polenta taragna rather than uncia.
•Allowing the garlic or butter to blacken, which creates an unpleasant bitter taste.
•Letting the polenta cool before layering, which prevents the cheese from melting properly.

Serving suggestions

Serve straight from a warm earthenware bowl with rustic crusty bread.Pair with a glass of dry Valtellina Superiore or Rosso di Valtellina red wine.Accompany with pickled vegetables (giardiniera) to cut through the buttery richness.