Polenta Taragna
Valtellina’s dark buckwheat polenta, stirred with butter and melting mountain cheese until it stretches.
Ingredients
- 1.5 l Water
- 2 tsp Salt
- 150 g Buckwheat flour
- 150 g coarse cornmeal (not instant)
- 80 g Butter
- 200 g fontina or Valtellina Casera, cut into small cubes
Method
- Bring the salted water to the boil in a large heavy pot. Mix the buckwheat flour and cornmeal.
- Turn the heat to medium-low and pour in the flours in a thin stream, whisking all the time so no lumps form.
- Switch to a wooden spoon and cook for 40–45 min, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom, until the polenta is thick and pulls away from the sides of the pot. Add a splash of boiling water if it gets too stiff.
- Stir in the butter, then the cheese, and keep stirring for 2–3 min until it melts into creamy strings. Serve straight away.
Tips
- Ready-mixed polenta taragna flour (often quick-cook) is sold in Italian shops; follow its timing.
- Buckwheat is naturally gluten-free, but check the packet for cross-contamination.
- Fontina and Casera are usually made with animal rennet; choose a vegetarian melting cheese if that matters to you.
Sources
Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:
Open Polenta Taragna in Nouns Cooking