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The Romans ate puls made with farro, millet and other grains boiled in water or milk. Corn (granturco) from the Americas was introduced in Europe in the 16th century. Corn cultivation expanded to Italy in the 17th century and was rapidly adopted, especially in the Northern regions. Polenta made with corn became a staple of the lower classes, in part because corn was cheaper than the wheat used for bread, but also because of the sense of satiety it provided.
My mother made corn polenta using a 50/50 mix of farina di mais1 (cornmeal) of two different kinds, one finer and one coarser. When I started making polenta in California, I used half cornmeal and half polenta (i.e., the product sold as polenta, see photo above).
When I was 22 years old, my polenta horizon expanded to encompass polenta taragna. A few months after I moved to Milan, I visited Valtellina, a beautiful Alpine valley northeast of the city. Some of the foods I ate there left a lasting impression on me, like those made using farina di grano saraceno (buckwheat flour).
Buckwheat production in Valtellina dates back to the 1600's and buckwheat flour appears in traditional dishes like pizzoccheri (short tagliatelle that are cooked together with potatoes and Savoy cabbage or Swiss chard, then layered with cheese and dressed with butter), polenta taragna (more on this below) and sciatt (cheese-filled fritters). Buckwheat is not a cereal grain, but a fruit seed, so it is "a suitable substitute for grains for people who are sensitive to wheat or other grains that contain protein glutens" [source].
Since buckwheat flour is gray (with black specks from the hulls), the polenta made with it is grayish. In polenta taragna, buckwheat flour is mixed with some cornmeal. The word taragna does not refer to an ingredient, but to the tarai or tarel, the wooden implement traditionally used to stir the polenta while it was cooking in the copper pot, which hung inside the fireplace.
The recipe that follows is my personal and locally grown version of polenta taragna. To make it, I use freshly milled cornmeal and buckwheat flour from my grain CSA share with Shakefork Community Farm. You can use products available in your market.
Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for polenta taragna
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (65 g / 2 1/4 oz.) stone-ground cornmeal (I first sifted my cornmeal using a mesh colander, then measure it)
- 1/2 cup (75 g / 2 3/4 oz.) stone-ground buckwheat flour
- 4 cups cold water [see Note below]
- a bit of salt
- cheese of choice, to taste, cut into small pieces or grated, depending on consistency
Note: The polenta I obtain from this recipe is fairly soft. If you want a firmer version, decrease the amount of water. (Keep in mind that polenta becomes firmer as it cools.)
Pour the cold water into a saucepan and add a bit of salt. Slowly add the cornmeal and then the buckwheat flour in a thin stream, while whisking to mix. The pan then goes over medium heat. As soon as the water reaches boiling point, turn down the heat to low. Keep stirring with the whisk until the polenta becomes thick, at which point you may want to switch to a wooden spoon as stirring implement.
Cook the polenta for at least 50 minutes (I usually cook it a few minutes longer). During that time, stir often to prevent the polenta from sticking to the bottom of the pan and to avoid the build-up of steam that results in small volcanic explosions. (You don't need to obsess over the pan, though.)
Traditional polenta taragna includes butter (burro) and local cheese (formaggio). I omit the butter, preferring a lighter dish, but I do add cheese. Valtellina has its own traditional cheeses, like scimudin, casera and bitto (the last two have PDO status: if you have access to a well-stocked cheese store, ask about them).
I have been making cheese at home for some time, so I shop from my little stash and I like to experiment with different cheeses. Depending on the consistency of the cheese I choose, I cut it into small pieces or grate it. Sometimes, I mix two different cheeses. I don't weigh or otherwise measure the cheese. However, one day that I made this polenta, I paid attention and I know that I used 2 oz of aged Asiago cheese, grated. If I use a softer cheese, I am sure I use a bit more. While I do like to taste the cheese, I try to get a balanced flavor, so the polenta can work well as a side dish.
Add the chosen cheese to the polenta at the end of the cooking time, and stir to incorporate it. Taste and, if necessary, add more cheese. Serve immediately. If using cheese cut into small pieces, the bits that don't melt completely will make for a pleasant tasting experience.
My take on polenta taragna works nicely as a side dish to a variety of vegetarian and meat entrées, like chicken with Catalan picada. When I cook polenta for our binary household, I always have leftovers, which I spoon into a square container: this makes it easy to cut the cold polenta into even-sized slices. When I want to reheat it, I spray a cast-iron skillet with some olive oil, and when it is warm, deposit slices of polenta in it, then cook on both sides. If done properly, the polenta slices will have a thin crust that adds to the pleasure of eating leftovers. And if the crust sticks to the skillet, it will come off shortly afterwards, and provide you with a crispy treat. (Doing the latter on purpose is allowed.)
Paolo of Quatro Fromagio has recently devoted a post to polenta taragna, which includes his recipe (with butter, hence closer to the tradition than mine).
1 Both mais and granturco mean corn in Italian.
This is my contribution to edition #319 of Weekend Herb Blogging, an event started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, now organized by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once and hosted this week by Chris of Mele Cotte.
This post contains the roundup of the event.
Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:
or launch the polenta taragna audio file [mp3].
[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]
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polenta taragna
La polenta taragna è stata una delle grandi scoperte gastronomiche seguite al mio trasferimento da Perugia a Milano, insieme ai pizzoccheri e alla bresaola, tanto per rimanere in Valtellina.
Mia madre faceva la polenta rigorosamente come primo piatto o meglio piatto unico, metà farina più fine e metà più grossa, condita con un sugo sostanzioso fatto con carne di maiale e salsicce. Per reazione, io preferisco la polenta bianca, con solo formaggio e servita come contorno.
Non so quale sia la proporzione di farina gialla e farina di grano saraceno nella polenta taragna, ma io uso metà e metà di volume. Ho cominciato un po' perché mi piace e un po' perché ricevo le due farine nella mia cassettina delle granaglie, macinate di fresco con grani di produzione locale.
Ingredienti:
- 65 g farina di granturco per polenta fioretto macinata a pietra
- 75 g farina di grano saraceno macinata a pietra
- 950 ml acqua [vedi Nota sotto]
- un po' di sale
- formaggio a scelta, in quantità a piacere, tagliato a pezzetti o grattugiato, a seconda della consistenza; naturalmente se avete accesso ai formaggi tradizionali della Valtellina, scimudin, casera, bitto, usate quelli
Nota: La polenta che faccio è piuttosto morbida. Diminuendo la quantità di acqua si ottiene una versione più soda. (Tenete presente che la polenta si rassoda quando si raffredda.)
Mettere l'acqua in una pentola e salare leggermente. Aggiungere lentamente a filo la farina gialla e poi quella di grano saraceno, mescolando col frullino a mano. Porre la pentola su fuoco medio e portare ad ebollizione, poi abbassare il calore. Continuare a mescolare col frullino fino a quando la polenta si rassoda e a quel punto passare ad usare un cucchiaio di legno.
Cuocere la polenta per 50 minuti (io di solito la cuocio qualche minuto più a lungo). Durante la cottura, mescolare spesso per evitare che la polenta si attacchi al fondo della pentola e anche che accumuli vapore e poi provochi piccole esplosioni vulcaniche.
La polenta taragna tradizionale viene condita con burro e formaggio. Io ometto il burro per avere un piatto più leggero, ma certamente aggiungo il formaggio, facendo la spesa tra quelli di mia produzione e sperimentando combinazioni diverse. Non peso il formaggio, ma una volta l'ho fatto per amor di precisione e ho usato 60 g di Asiago stagionato grattugiato. Quando uso formaggio più fresco la quantità è sicuramente maggiore. Mi piace sentire il sapore del formaggio, ma cerco di ottenere un sapore equilibrato che mi permette di servire la polenta come contorno a piatti di carne o vegetariani.
Aggiungere il formaggio al termine della cottura e mescolare per incorporarlo. Assaggiare e, se necessario, aggiungere formaggio. Servire immediatamente. Se utilizzate del formaggio a pezzetti, i frammenti che non si sciolgono completamente creano un piacevole contrasto.
Quando faccio la polenta per noi due, ne avanza sempre e la metto in un contenitore da frigo cubico in modo che poi sia facile tagliare fettine di dimensioni regolari. Per riscaldarla uso una padella di ferro ben oliata e calda nella quale adagio le fettine di polenta fredda. Se si ha pazienza, dopo qualche minuto si forma una crosticina dorata molto gustosa e dopo aver girato le fettine si ottiene lo stesso risultato dall'altro lato.
Questo post è il mio contributo all'edizione numero 319 di Weekend Herb Blogging, un evento creato da Kalyn di Kalyn's Kitchen, organizzato ora da Haalo di Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once, la cui versione italiana è organizzata da Brii di briggishome, e ospitata questa settimana da Graziana di Erbe in cucina.
Questo post contiene il riepilogo dell'evento.
Questo piatto tipico della lombarda Valtellina è il mio contributo all'Abbecedario culinario d'Italia, un evento organizzato dalla Trattoria MuVarA che ci porterà a visitare tutte le regioni italiane utilizzando come guida l'alfabeto. P come Pavia è ospitata da Paola di Voglia di cucina...Voglia di sognare...
Simo come spesso accade siamo nella stessa lunghezza d'onda....ho preparato proprio l'altro giorno un post sulla polenta ^____^
se preferisci quella bianca allora sei simpatizzante delle zone tra venezia e treviso, è lì che è di casa, ciauzzz e buon challah
Posted by: astrofiammante | February 05, 2012 at 09:12 AM
Thank you for this interesting post about using buckwheat in polenta, fellow Typepad blogger--yours is one of the best I've seen!
Posted by: Molly Hashimoto | February 05, 2012 at 01:11 PM
Vado pazza per la polenta taragna e io trovo solo quella 'da supermercato'... non oso immaginare quanto sarà buona la tua! Grazie per aver partecipato a WHB.
Posted by: Graziana | February 06, 2012 at 01:08 AM
My favourite way to reuse polenta is by making scagliozzi, really thin polenta slices shallow fried in olive oil. A venetian take on tortilla!
Posted by: Caffettiera | February 06, 2012 at 04:00 AM
Oh my! Your polenta taragna looks and sounds delicious! I'd love to try it. I love buckwheat flour. Guess what I made last night? Cookies with buckwheat flour. Tasty!
Posted by: Paz | February 06, 2012 at 08:08 AM
Non l'ho mai assaggiata, di solito compro la polenta istantanea, credo che così ne perdo tantissimo, devo provare a trovare le due farine... per farla così mhhhh
Posted by: Fragoliva | February 06, 2012 at 02:19 PM
What a wonderful post! I love polenta and always prepare/eat it in similar ways. I am so excited to learn how to pair it with Buckwheat Flour. Thanks for participating in WHB. The round up should be up soon. :)
Posted by: Chris | February 06, 2012 at 06:17 PM
This sounds delicious. I'll have to see if I can find buckwheat because they do not sell it in the supermarkets.
Posted by: Ivy | February 07, 2012 at 01:52 AM
Carissima Simona, la polenta targana è l'unica che riesco a mangiare in versione "salata"! secondo me ha molto più gusto, quello rustico che adoro! bacioni
Posted by: Francy | February 07, 2012 at 04:23 AM
Marta, qui si dice "great minds think alike" ;)
Thank you so much, Molly.
Ciao Graziana. Non sono esperta di marche italiane, ma se e' sotto vuoto, macinata a pietra e di un'azienda con buona reputazione, io la proverei.
Ciao Caffettiera. I must confess I had not heard of scagliozzi before. They sound like a treat.
Ciao Paz. The midnight cookie baker at work again?
Ciao Fragoliva. Spero che mi perdonerai che ti consiglio caldamente di evitare la polenta istantanea. La polenta richiede il suo tempo per la cottura, ma il risultato ripaga dello sforzo. Fammi sapere se la provi :)
Thank you so much, Chris. I am glad you found my post informative. Thanks for hosting!
Ciao Ivy. I hope you can find buckwheat flour. Buckwheat groats are also good.
Ciao Francy. Magari ora puoi provare la ricetta dolce con la taragna: che ne dici?
Posted by: Simona Carini | February 09, 2012 at 07:32 AM
I've discovered polenta recently and I can say I'm in love with it :) I love the bright yellow colour and the taste. I wonder how the buckwheat polenta tastes as I've not tried it yet. The color is very interesting, too!
Posted by: Catalina | February 10, 2012 at 03:49 PM
Ciao Catalina. I am glad you've discovered polenta and you like it. It's particularly comforting when the weather is cold. Polenta taragna tastes different from the one made with all corn, sort of lightly nutty. It goes very well with cheese.
Posted by: Simona Carini | February 13, 2012 at 09:54 PM
P come Perfettamente Pronti in tavola!!! Grazie Per la Preziosa Partecipazione: http://abcincucina.blogspot.it/2012/07/p-come-pavia.html!
E ora dalla Penisola tutti in Sardegna!!!!!!!
Posted by: Aiuolik | August 14, 2012 at 08:04 AM
Grazie a te, Aioulik. Corro a vedere la lista e sono gia' pronta per volare in Sardegna (il traghetto l'ho provato e non mi si addice).
Posted by: Simona | August 19, 2012 at 02:53 PM
The best polenta with buckwheat is to slice it (WITH STRING) layer cheese and pour butter & garlic over it. My parents are from Lombardy area in Italy take it easy on the butter. Not sure what it is called but it is great.
Posted by: sue | December 07, 2016 at 04:33 AM
Thank you for your note, Sue. Denser polenta that can be sliced with a string and then dressed is a delicious northern Italian tradition.
Posted by: Simona Carini | December 10, 2016 at 01:31 PM
"Polenta" is a preparation, a dish. Uncooked cornmeal is not polenta, either in the U.S. or anywhere else. Sorry, this is just a point for me.
Posted by: Kathy Douthit | April 25, 2023 at 08:38 PM
Also, thanks for the recipe. I was looking for one to make a polenta that has less carbs. I have read that before polenta was made with corn in Italy, it was originally a dish made with buckwheat, which was a crop grown in the northern latitudes.
Posted by: Kathy Douthit | April 25, 2023 at 08:42 PM
Hello Kathy and thank you for stopping by my blog. That's also what I read. Besides for polenta, I use buckwheat flour in small amounts in cookie and cake recipes :)
Posted by: Simona Carini | April 29, 2023 at 05:29 PM