As fall approaches, so does our craving for a delicious, hearty serving of comfort food. Polenta is the perfect choice. This popular Ticinese dish is synonymous with Swiss Italian cuisine and culture. Polenta can be served soft and creamy or cut into squares and fried. Polenta is ground corn, or cornmeal (not to be confused with cornflour or cornstarch. It is a simple dish to make, but a lot of stirring is required. If standing at a stove for about an hour mixing is not your forte, you can always pick up a box of instant polenta at your nearest supermarket. Polenta is a versatile food that can be a side dish or mixed with Gorgonzola cheese and milk as a flavoursome and substantial main course. It also combines perfectly with a warm helping of spezzatino, which is an Italian version of beef stew. Or it can be served with Luganighe sausage, also from the Ticino region, which contains pork, spices and red wine.

INGREDIENTS

• • • 1 litre water or 250ml milk and 250 ml water
    • 1½ tsp. salt
    • 2 Tbs. butter
    • 50gr Gorgonzola mixing it in on low heat until it melts
    • 250 g. coarse cornmeal (Bramata polenta flour)
    • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste (optional)

STEPS

1) Bring the salted water to boil in a pan.

2) Stir in the cornmeal and cook over the lowest heat for approximately 40 minutes. Stir frequently, to form a thick paste.

3) Add Gorgonzola mixing it in on low heat until it melts – add before folding

4) Remove from heat and mix in butter before serving. If using the Parmesan, fold that in. Now it is ready to serve as a “soft” polenta.

5) If you prefer to make polenta squares, spread the polenta out onto a board to a thickness of about 1 cm. When it has cooled, cut into squares. Fry on both sides in some clarified butter until golden brown.