Toc' in Braide
Toc' in braide is a Friulian farm dish of soft maize polenta served in a well, filled with a velvety cheese fonduta and finished with toasted morchia butter.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 560 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-bottomed saucepan
- •Whisk
- •Small non-stick frying pan
- •Wooden spoon
- •Ladle
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- fat
- 30 g
- carbs
- 52 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 21 g
- calories
- 560 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Bring the water to a rolling boil in a heavy saucepan and stir in the fine sea salt.
- 2
Rain the coarse cornmeal slowly into the boiling water while whisking steadily to prevent lumps.
- 3
Lower the heat to gentle, cover loosely, and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon until soft and thick.
- 4
Heat the milk and single cream in a separate pan over very low heat until steaming but not boiling.
- 5
Stir the grated Montasio and Latteria cheeses gradually into the warm milk mixture until completely melted and velvety smooth.
- 6
Melt the butter in a small frying pan over medium-low heat until it begins to foam.
- 7
Add the fine cornmeal to the foaming butter and stir continuously until deeply golden-brown and nutty in aroma to form the morchia.
- 8
Divide the hot, soft polenta among four shallow serving bowls.
- 9
Press the back of a ladle into the centre of each portion to create a wide well.
- 10
Pour the warm cheese sauce generously into the centre of each polenta well.
- 11
Spoon the hot, hazelnut-scented morchia butter over the cheese sauce and serve immediately.
Chef's tips
Keep the polenta soft rather than stiff; it should yield gently under the spoon. Do not rush the morchia, as the cornmeal must toast to a rich hazelnut colour without burning black.
Ingredient substitutions
- Latteria cheese → a young Fontina or fresh semi-soft Alpine cheese
- young Montasio cheese → young Asiago Pressato, though the flavour profile will be milder
Storage
Store leftover polenta and cheese sauce separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheating
Reheat the polenta with a splash of hot water in a saucepan over low heat, and warm the cheese sauce gently without boiling.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Letting the cheese sauce boil, which causes the dairy fat to split and turn greasy.
- •Allowing the polenta to become too firm, which prevents the cheese sauce from blending gracefully.
- •Burning the cornmeal in the butter rather than gently toasting it to a deep golden brown.
Serving suggestions
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