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Polenta: northern Italy staple food

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Luca Lazzari View Drop Down
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    Posted: 24 October 2012 at 10:47

This post is dedicated to my blessed grandmother, Maria Faggian. She was born in the village of Zerman in the Veneto region, Italy’s polenta heartland. She was a wonderful cook, and I still can feel the taste of her polenta, gnocchi, fried fish, fritters, pizza... She tolerated me when I stole raw gnocchi from the table. After the first half dozen, usually she started calling me biblical names, like “mardocheo” or “maccabeo”, and I knew the game was over.

Ciao nonna!

However, let’s get back to polenta.

According to the Treccani dictionary, the Italian name polenta comes from the Latin words polenta (barley flour) or puls (which was a sort of spelt mush, very popular at those times).

Polenta has been for centuries the staple food in various northern areas of Italy, until eating habits changed. Before maize came to Italy from the New World, polenta was made mostly with grano saraceno (buckwheat). In some areas of Italy buckwheat is still used to make polenta nowadays.

Maize in Italy is called mais or granoturco (also granturco, gran turco). Maize flour is called here farina di mais, but also simply farina gialla (yellow flour).

By the way, "polentoni" is a name used by southern Italian people to mock northerners. Big smile

 

What kind of polenta flour can you find today in Italy?

The most diffused and appreciated is maize flour. It can have a more or less fine grain: you choose it accordingly to your personal taste, and you will obviously obtain different results with coarse flour then with a finer one. Another kind of maize flour comes from white maize, a variety usually grown in the Veneto region. Resulting polenta will have a white color, not the usual yellow one.

Second place goes to buckwheat flour, which is used in Valtellina and other northern areas to prepare the so-called polenta taragna.

The last two flours used to make polenta are gram flour and chestnut flour, but they are not so widely used.

 

How do you make polenta?

First of all, you can buy “ready” flour, called istantanea in Italy, which is precooked flour. It takes only a few minutes to have your hot polenta ready to serve. Or you can choose the traditional way and buy “normal” flour. In this case you will need to cook it from 45 to 60 minutes or more, stirring it constantly. A friend of mine uses a pressure cooker to avoid stirring, but I never tried: I don’t use pressure cookers!

Basically, this is the procedure:

Get a big pot, you will need about 4/5 liters of water for 1 kg of flour, plus coarse salt.

Bring the water to a boil, add salt, then pour the flour in the water, stirring to prevent lumps. Stir with a wooden spoon for 45/60 minutes. When polenta is ready, it will start coming off the sides of the pot. When the polenta is cooked, pour it on a wooden plate and wait some minutes, until it’s firmer.

At this point you can serve it. For example, you can bring it as it is on the table, or you can serve it in each guest’s dish, topped with sauce and meat or fish.

You can also add other ingredients to the polenta, before serving it. You can add butter and/or cheese, and melt them in the hot mix.

Polenta is usually served with meat or fish cooked to produce a rich and savory sauce, like spezzatino (stewed meat) or stoccafisso (stockfish), but also with mushrooms based sauces, pork meats, eels, cheese and vegetable. And it is a wonderful leftover!

As soon as I can I’ll post a couple of recipes, maybe with some pictures.


Buon appetito

Luca Lazzari

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Margi Cintrano View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Margi Cintrano Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 October 2012 at 11:12
 
 
Buonasera Luca,
 
POLENTA ... Thanks so much for posting. Absolutely lovely background and very informative data on Italian flour types, and the historical info. on such an ancient traditional dish.
 
Personally, I prefer my Polenta as seen in the above Photo on a bed of simple homemade tomato sauce verses the " mashed potato pureé texture ".
 
 
 
My Nonna Margherite used to prepare Polenta for me with Italian sweet and piquant Sausages.
THOSE WERE THE DAYS ...  
 
All my best,
Margi.
 
 
*** Photo Courtesy: Uncopyrighted Public Domain 123Rf.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Daikon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 October 2012 at 11:50
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gonefishin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 October 2012 at 12:57
   Thanks Luca!  Wonderful insight...Now the only question is what to cook with it Approve

Thanks,
 Dan

(thanks for the tip, Daikon)
Enjoy The Food!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Luca Lazzari Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 October 2012 at 03:31
Originally posted by Margi Cintrano Margi Cintrano wrote:

...
My Nonna Margherite used to prepare Polenta for me with Italian sweet and piquant Sausages.
THOSE WERE THE DAYS ...  

Gorgeous.

So friends, this narrows the options for my next polenta recipe to post here: sausages in hearty tomato sauce, or pollo alla cacciatora (sort of stewed chicken).
I'll have to take a survey at my fiancé home!

Ciao
Luca
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Luca Lazzari Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 October 2012 at 03:34
Originally posted by Daikon Daikon wrote:

Adding just a little baking soda will change the pH enough to avoid most of the stirring...

That's a good one. But I don't want to miss with flavour and texture. The only way is to simultaneously make polenta in the traditional way and baking soda-addicted, then taste the two mixes.
Ok, I have a whole winter to organize this test!

Thanks Daikon
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 October 2012 at 08:37
Hi, Luca, and many thanks for posting on the fundamentals of polenta!
 
It looks to me like "with sausages" or with "polla alla cacciatora" would be wonderful either way. I believe that I shall try it with sausages my first time, and then the next time I will try it with a recipe that I have for pollo alla cacciatora. This recipe is unique in that it doesn't use tomato sauce, but gets its character from white wine, olives and anchovies. I tried it once, and even though I made a couple of errors that caused it to look terrible, it tasted WONDERFUL, and I've been wanting to try it again. You can take a look at it here, but please forgive my errors!
 
 
Yes, I messed up and it looks very bad, but the taste was delicious and I still remember it today.
 
As I said, this version would be considered unusual to most Americans, who are accustomed to seeing "chickent cacciatore" with tomato sauce. I do not know for sure, but my guess is that this other version is either a very old version (before tomatoes arrived in Italy), or else possibly it is a version that is more reflective of Northern Italy. Either way, I suspect that it would be very good with polenta.
 
So, I will make it a goal in the near future to try polenta in both ways you mention, and from there will explore other options!
 
Thanks again -
 
Ron
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Margi Cintrano Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 October 2012 at 09:08
Luca and Tas,
 
Some Polenta stews mentioned in my Italian Bible, are:
 
1) Tortino di Riso Alla Valdostana: Beef tongue Stew, Nutmeg, Fontina Cheese, Butter, Reggiano Parmesano, Onion, Vialone Rice, Milk
2) Polenta Cùnsa: Polenta with Fontina Cheese
3) Lepre in Civet:  Hare Stew, onion, carrot, garlic, celery, bay leaf, red wine, butter, pancetta
4) Stuffed Pork or Veal or Beef Chops with Mushrooms
5) Ragù: the same preparation one uses for Bolgonese al Forno Lasagne
6) Polenta with Italian Sweet and Piquant Sausages served on a bed of Tomato Sauce with or without meat.
7) Polenta Nera: with Anchovies, Reggiano Parmesano, Butter
8) Polenta con La Zucca: with pumpkin and / or a  yellow squash family variety in a pureé
9) Polenta con La Cipolla: with onion or shallot or leeks in a pureé
10) Polenta Corn Bread: this can be baked as a savoury sage and rosemary herb cornbread
 
                                              
Polenta Cornbread for Christmas.
( Christmas Cookie Cutters ).                                                Polenta with Cheese.  
 
 
Polenta Triangles.
 
 
Here is a simple meal, with an Italian touch ... Grilled Steak with Grilled Savoury Polenta ... 
Polenta & Grilled Steak.
 
 
 
Bag of Polenta.
 
Polenta Bed topped with Beef.
 
 
 
 
Beef Ragú on Polenta Bed.
 
 
 
 
Beef Stew with veggies with Polenta.
 
 
Chicken Cacciatorri on Polenta Bed.
 
Hope this assists with the uses of Polenta.
 
Enjoy,
Margi.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Luca Lazzari Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 October 2012 at 03:05
Originally posted by TasunkaWitko TasunkaWitko wrote:

Hi, Luca, and many thanks for posting on the fundamentals of polenta!

You're welcome, Ron Smile
 
Originally posted by TasunkaWitko TasunkaWitko wrote:

It looks to me like "with sausages" or with "polla alla cacciatora" would be wonderful either way. I believe that I shall try it with sausages my first time, and then the next time I will try it with a recipe that I have for pollo alla cacciatora. This recipe is unique in that it doesn't use tomato sauce, but gets its character from white wine, olives and anchovies.
...
As I said, this version would be considered unusual to most Americans, who are accustomed to seeing "chickent cacciatore" with tomato sauce. I do not know for sure, but my guess is that this other version is either a very old version (before tomatoes arrived in Italy), or else possibly it is a version that is more reflective of Northern Italy. Either way, I suspect that it would be very good with polenta.
...

Ron, in Italy we are around 60 millions people. This means that, for every recipe, we have at least around 60 millions variations...
A few recipes are formally certified, like the ragù alla bolognese, which is registered at the chamber of commerce of Bologna. But who cares: everyone of us make the ragù in a different way.
Other recipes are universally used with only a very few variations, like carbonara sauce for the pasta.
All of this comes from our history: Italy is one of the most fragmented countries of the world, maybe the most fragmented, with different cultures, languages (dialects are still widely used along with Italiano), habits, climate, economy, and on and on and on. And obviously food and eating.
The alla cacciatora technique is a perfect example. The name is quite generic, meaning hunter's style. My assumption is this: it is so generic that has been used to call different recipes, for different food, in many different areas of Italy.
For example, consulting my bible of Italian regional cooking (Le ricette regionali italiane, by Anna Gosetti della Salda) I found three different recipes for pollo alla cacciatora, one from northern Emilia-Romagna region, one from Umbria in central Italy, one from Sicily. All with tomato and other variable ingredients.
Then I went to the website of Academia Barilla, a wonderful and very formal place, serious stuff. There I found many cacciatora recipe, from many areas of Italy. The first two recipes I read were tomatoless. An abbacchio alla cacciatora from the Lazio region: the ingredients are abbacchio (suckling lamb meat), EVOO, salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary, sage, anchovies, wine, wine vinegar. And a coniglio (rabbit) alla cacciatora from Emilia-Romagna, whose ingredients are rabbit, fava beans, lemon, parsley, EVOO, salt and pepper.

In this case we can only say: if you come to Italy and order a cacciatora dish, it's better to check in advance what's in the recipe!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Luca Lazzari Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 October 2012 at 03:23
Originally posted by Margi Cintrano Margi Cintrano wrote:

Luca and Tas,
 
Some Polenta stews mentioned in my Italian Bible, are:

Margi, I hate you LOL

Originally posted by Margi Cintrano Margi Cintrano wrote:

1) Tortino di Riso Alla Valdostana: Beef tongue Stew, Nutmeg, Fontina Cheese, Butter, Reggiano Parmesano, Onion, Vialone Rice, Milk
2) Polenta Cùnsa: Polenta with Fontina Cheese
3) Lepre in Civet:  Hare Stew, onion, carrot, garlic, celery, bay leaf, red wine, butter, pancetta
4) Stuffed Pork or Veal or Beef Chops with Mushrooms
5) Ragù: the same preparation one uses for Bolgonese al Forno Lasagne
6) Polenta with Italian Sweet and Piquant Sausages served on a bed of Tomato Sauce with or without meat.
7) Polenta Nera: with Anchovies, Reggiano Parmesano, Butter
8) Polenta con La Zucca: with pumpkin and / or a  yellow squash family variety in a pureé
9) Polenta con La Cipolla: with onion or shallot or leeks in a pureé
10) Polenta Corn Bread: this can be baked as a savoury sage and rosemary herb cornbread

Here is my ranking of your dishes:
1- Polenta Cùnsa
2- Lepre in Civet
3- Polenta with Italian Sweet and Piquant Sausages
4- Ragù
5- Polenta Corn Bread
6- Stuffed Pork or Veal or Beef Chops with Mushrooms
7- Tortino di Riso Alla Valdostana

Polenta Nera - don't know
Polenta con La Cipolla - don't know
Polenta con La Zucca: I hate zucca.

And thanks for the gorgeous pictures!

Ciao
Luca
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 October 2012 at 05:25
Good lord. You guys can sure get passionate over a bowl of grits. Wink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Margi Cintrano Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 October 2012 at 06:05
 LOL Luca, Buon Giorno,
 
THANKS for posting the fab info ... Always a pleasure to read ur posts.  
 
 
Heart Kindest,
Margi. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Margi Cintrano Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 October 2012 at 10:29
LOL Brook,
 
Italians are passionate !
 
Kindest regards.
Margi.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Luca Lazzari Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 October 2012 at 11:40
Originally posted by HistoricFoodie HistoricFoodie wrote:

Good lord. You guys can sure get passionate over a bowl of grits. Wink

And you still didn't see nothing.
Wait my next post about how to boil water...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Margi Cintrano Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 October 2012 at 14:56
Luca. Believe it or not numerous culinary students and home cooks have not studied the basics and cannot boil water. So therefore this is positive.   I have seen home cooks asking how to boil an egg or boil water for pasta. Look forward to ur thread. Margi.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Richtee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 October 2012 at 20:08
Ahhh... it would come out of Nonna's copper pot steaming with a couple butter pats on top...mixed in..then served, and a delicious wild game stew of woodcock, rabbit, partridge and pheasant done in a tomato/dark olive/mushroom/pepper chicken stock base would be ladled over the top... and then the always present announcement... "Watch out for BBs!" LOL

I guess..on edit..this would be true "caccitore" or hunting style eh?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Richtee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 October 2012 at 20:10
Originally posted by HistoricFoodie HistoricFoodie wrote:

Good lord. You guys can sure get passionate over a bowl of grits. Wink

Well-  yeah... LOL

The left over polenta gets sliced cold and fried golden brown in butter for breakfast. That sound a little more familiar? ;{)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Daikon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 October 2012 at 21:17
Originally posted by Richtee Richtee wrote:

Ahhh... it would come out of Nonna's copper pot steaming with a couple butter pats on top...mixed in..then served, and a delicious wild game stew of woodcock, rabbit, partridge and pheasant done in a tomato/dark olive/mushroom/pepper chicken stock base would be ladled over the top... and then the always present announcement... "Watch out for BBs!" LOL

I guess..on edit..this would be true "caccitore" or hunting style eh?
Depends.  Was it served on a big wooden board?  And how big was the pot?
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Served on a platter... hey it was a dinner table, not the cabin where we shot the game ;{) And jeez..hadda be 20 quarts or so 4-5 gallons...BIG pot.

Holy crap..on edit..not THAT big! LOL!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Luca Lazzari Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 October 2012 at 02:39
Originally posted by Richtee Richtee wrote:

Originally posted by HistoricFoodie HistoricFoodie wrote:

Good lord. You guys can sure get passionate over a bowl of grits. Wink

Well-  yeah... LOL

The left over polenta gets sliced cold and fried golden brown in butter for breakfast. That sound a little more familiar? ;{)

This is the best part of eating polenta: leftover can be better then the original!!!
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