Non-VegetarianVeneta cuisine Main Course

Sopressa Veneta con Polenta

Name: Sopressa Veneta con Polenta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Veneta
Ingredients: 250 g coarse yellow maize flour; 1 l Water; 6 g Fine sea salt; 400 g sopressa veneta or vicentina; 45 ml white wine vinegar; 10 ml Extra virgin olive oil

Thick slices of garlic-scented Venetian sopressa cured pork sausage quickly warmed in a pan with white wine vinegar, served over crusty grilled yellow polenta.

🇮🇹Italy· Veneto

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 55 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 480 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 6 gathered

Servings

250 g coarse yellow maize flour — farina di mais bramata
1 l Water — for boiling polenta
6 g Fine sea salt — about one level teaspoon
400 g sopressa veneta or vicentina — cut into 8 thick slices, skin removed
45 ml white wine vinegar — 3 tablespoons good quality
10 ml Extra virgin olive oil — to lightly grease the polenta dish and griddle

Equipment

•Heavy-bottomed saucepan
•Whisk
•Wooden spoon
•Shallow rectangular dish
•Cast-iron griddle pan
•Frying pan

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 480 kcal
fat: 24 g
carbs: 46 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 22 g
calories: 480 kcal

Instructions

1
Bring the salted water to a steady rolling boil in a heavy saucepan.
2
Pour the maize flour in a thin stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
3
Cook the polenta over low heat for 40 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon until thick and glossy.
4
Pour the polenta into a lightly oiled shallow dish, smooth the top, and leave to cool until firm.
5
Cut the cold, set polenta into eight thick rectangular slices.
6
Heat a cast-iron griddle over high heat and toast the polenta for 4 minutes per side until charred and crisp.
7
Heat a dry frying pan over medium-high heat and lay the thick sopressa slices in a single layer.
8
Fry the sausage for 1 minute until the fat turns translucent and begins to render.
9
Pour the vinegar into the pan and let it bubble fiercely for 30 seconds to deglaze the juices.
10
Plate two slices of grilled polenta per person, top with the hot sopressa, and spoon over the pan juices.

Chef's tips

Slice the sopressa at least 5 mm thick so it softens in the hot pan without drying out. Use authentic Soprèssa Vicentina or a soft Veneto-style aged pork sausage with garlic. Let the polenta cool completely before grilling so it holds its shape on the hot bars.

Ingredient substitutions

Soprèssa Vicentina → a soft, coarsely ground garlic-cured Italian salame cut thick
white wine vinegar → apple cider vinegar for a slightly milder acidity

Storage

Keep leftover grilled polenta and cooked sopressa in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Reheating

Re-grill the polenta on a hot griddle and warm the sopressa briefly in a dry pan with a few drops of vinegar.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Cooking the sopressa for too long, which hardens the meat instead of gently melting the pork fat.
•Grilling freshly made hot polenta before it has set into a firm sliceable block.
•Omitting the vinegar splash, leaving the dish overly heavy and cloying.

Serving suggestions

Serve immediately with a glass of dry Veneto red wine like Tai Rosso or Cabernet Franc.Pair with a side of pan-tossed bitter chicory or grilled radicchio di Treviso tardivo.