Taragna Polenta

Name: Taragna Polenta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Instant flour for polenta taragna 2.1 lbs; Water 8 ½ cups; Fine salt to taste; Butter softened 4 ¼ tbsp; Fontina cheese 7.1 oz; Extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp

681

Calories per serving

Vegetarian

Energy Kcal 681
Carbohydrates g 102.4
of which sugars g 2.4
Protein g 19.3
Fats g 21.6
of which saturated fat g 10.33
Fiber g 3.3
Cholesterol mg 52
Sodium mg 559

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Serving: 6 persone
Cost: Low

PRESENTATION

If you walk in Valtellina, among the Brescia and Bergamo valleys, you cannot miss tasting the pizzoccheri or another typical dish of the local culinary tradition: taragna polenta! We also wanted to create our version of this hearty polenta to warm us from the impending cold! A shower of cornmeal and buckwheat flour that gives the typical dark color and rustic flavor, blends with the cheeses that give it a unique creaminess. As with all traditional recipes, each family jealously guards its secret for a perfect taragna polenta, and the cheeses used can vary depending on the area or the tradition passed down from their forefathers, using Branzi, Casera, or Fontina! This rich dish is traditionally served still fluid and stringy, enjoyed on its own, as a main dish, or accompanied by sausages or roasted pork ribs. Taragna polenta is an engaging dish that encapsulates all the intense flavors of the territory, a real delight to enjoy on cold winter days: let yourself be enchanted by the magic of the culinary traditions of this enchanting valley and bring its intense flavors directly to your table!

Also try these recipes with polenta:

Baked Polenta
Cheese Polenta
Polenta with Sausage and Cheese
Polenta and Beans

INGREDIENTS: Instant flour for polenta taragna 2.1 lbs (500 g); Water 8 ½ cups (2 l); Fine salt to taste; Butter 4 ¼ tbsp (60 g) - softened; Fontina cheese 7.1 oz (200 g); Extra virgin olive oil 1 tsp (5 g)

Preparation in a Regular Pot

To prepare the taragna polenta, start by removing the crust from the cheese (you can also use Casera or Branzi) 1 and cutting it first into strips and then into cubes 2 which you will set aside. Then take the softened butter and cut it into cubes 3: set it aside as well.

Next, take a high-sided pan and bring the water to a boil 4. Add salt 5 and oil 6.

Keep the heat on high and stir with a whisk 7 before adding the flour in a shower 8, continuing to stir vigorously with the whisk to avoid the formation of lumps 9.

Continue whisking until the polenta is well cooked: it will take about 5 minutes (but we recommend following the instructions on the package to know the exact cooking times for the polenta flour you are using) and the final consistency should be quite thick. It is important to continue stirring the polenta as otherwise, there is a risk that it will burn. Then lower the heat to the minimum and add the butter 10, stir 11, and simultaneously add the cheese 12.

Continue whisking 13 for 2-3 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted into the polenta. At this point, the taragna polenta will be ready 14: plate it and serve it hot 15!

Storage

It is recommended to consume the taragna polenta as soon as it is ready to enjoy the melted cheese!

You can store it in the refrigerator for 2 days and heat it before serving.

Freezing is not recommended.

Advice

If you have time and do not use instant flour, you can use traditional taragna polenta flour: follow the cooking instructions on the package!

If you prefer, instead of the cheeses we suggest, you can use Valtellina Casera or Bitto for a more intense flavor!

Curiosity

The name of this preparation itself recalls ancient peasant traditions: the term "taragna" refers to the tarai or tarell, which was a wooden stick once used to stir ("tarare") the flours and prevent them from sticking to the copper pot in which it was typically cooked. Although this tradition has been lost, it is still possible to recreate this rich dish and savor its intense taste with common kitchen utensils.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.