Shut up and swallow!

Name: Shut up and swallow! - Didina M.
Ingredients: 300; 400 ml water + a slice of butter + cornmeal + salt + a piece of homemade smoked sausage + a piece of homemade blood sausage + a cube of salted cow cheese + one (free; range) egg

Appetizers - Shut up and swallow! by Didina M. - Recipia

In childhood, when I visited my grandparents in the village, my grandmother often prepared this dish. She made polenta in a cauldron, had cheese stored in brine, and smoked sausages and blood sausages hanging in the pantry. The simpler version below is made in a pot and a pan, but it maintains the combination of polenta, smoked meat, egg, and cheese. It is a hearty dish, also known here as "shut up and swallow." Quick Info Total time: not specified in the original recipe; the dish is made quickly while the polenta boils and the smoked meat and egg are fried. Preparation time: not specified. Cooking time: not specified. Servings: approximately 1 serving, depending on the amount of polenta placed in the bowl. Difficulty: easy. Recipe type: traditional, hearty dish suitable for lunch or dinner. Ingredients For the polenta: 300-400 ml water A slice of butter Cornmeal, as needed for thickening the polenta Salt For the filling: A piece of homemade smoked sausage A piece of homemade blood sausage A cube of salted cow's cheese One egg, preferably from a free-range chicken Oil for frying The exact amount of cornmeal is not mentioned in the original recipe. It is added gradually, depending on how thick we want the polenta to be. The amount of oil is also not specified; just enough to fry the sausage and blood sausage slices, and then the egg. Preparation Method 1. Prepare the polenta Put the water in a pot, add salt and the slice of butter, then leave the mixture on the heat until it starts to boil. When the water is boiling, reduce the heat and add the cornmeal gradually. Stir continuously with a whisk to ensure it incorporates well and doesn't form lumps. Continue stirring until the polenta begins to thicken. In the original recipe, at this point, the pot is removed from the heat. It doesn't need to be too dry; for this dish, the polenta should be easy to layer. 2. Slice the smoked meat Cut the smoked sausage and blood sausage into slices. If the pieces are thicker, they can be sliced in a way that makes them easier to layer in the bowl. Heat the oil in a pan and add the slices to fry. Leave them until they are browned, then remove them to a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. 3. Prepare the cheese and egg Grate the cheese or break it into small pieces by hand. Either option works for this recipe. If the cheese is very salty, keep in mind that the sausage or blood sausage might already have enough salt. Fry the egg in the pan and flip it on both sides. Season it with salt. Once it's done, cut it into pieces. 4. Layer the dish In a bowl, place a layer of polenta. Add a layer of sausage, followed by another layer of polenta. Add the pieces of egg, then the slices of blood sausage and cheese. Finally, cover everything with another layer of polenta. The components can be layered while they are still warm, so the cheese softens slightly between layers. The dish is served immediately after assembly. Why I make this recipe often It is a simple yet filling recipe made from ingredients that are easy to find when you have smoked meat, cheese, and cornmeal at home. The polenta is prepared separately, and the other components are cooked quickly in the pan. It is especially useful when you have leftover pieces of sausage and blood sausage and want to use them in a hearty dish without complicating things too much. Tips Add the cornmeal gradually, not all at once. This way, you can better control the consistency of the polenta and mix it without forming lumps. The polenta should not be allowed to become too firm before layering. It is easier to place in the bowl while it is still soft and warm. Slice the sausage and blood sausage into pieces that are easy to take together with the polenta. If the slices are too large, the layers will be harder to arrange. Remove the fried meat to a paper towel. This step reduces excess oil before assembly. The cheese and smoked meat are already salty, so add salt sparingly to the water and the egg. The original recipe uses salted cow's cheese, and the final taste depends greatly on how salty the cheese is. Substitutions Salted cow's cheese can be replaced with another salty cheese if that is what is available. However, the taste of the dish will be closest to the original version when using cheese. If you don't have homemade smoked sausage, you can use a commercially available smoked sausage. For blood sausage, the recipe is designed with a piece of homemade blood sausage, and substituting it changes the character of the dish. In the absence of butter, the source does not mention an alternative for the polenta. The butter is added along with the water and salt before it starts to boil. Variations You can change the order of the layers, but the basic combination remains the same: polenta, sausage, polenta, egg, blood sausage, cheese, and another layer of polenta. If you want each bite to contain a bit of everything, cut the egg, smoked meat, and cheese into smaller pieces before layering. There is no need to modify the ingredients, just the way they are distributed in the bowl. For a larger serving, you can prepare more polenta and increase the amounts of smoked meat, cheese, and egg, but the exact quantities for these adjustments are not specified in the original recipe. Serving Ideas Serve the dish hot, immediately after placing the last layer of polenta. It can be eaten directly from the bowl, so the layers stay together. It is suitable as a main dish for lunch or dinner. It does not need a separate side dish, as it already contains polenta, meat, egg, and cheese. Frequently Asked Questions 1. What kind of cornmeal is used? The recipe simply mentions cornmeal without specifying a particular type. It is added gradually to the boiling water until the polenta begins to firm up. 2. How much cornmeal should be added to 300-400 ml of water? The exact amount is not stated in the original recipe. It is added gradually, stirring with a whisk until the desired consistency is achieved. For this dish, the polenta should be thick enough to form layers but not too firm. 3. Can I use unsalted cheese? Yes, but the dish will not have the same flavor intensity. The original version uses salted cow's cheese. If you use a less salty cheese, you can adjust the salt in the polenta and the egg. 4. Why is the smoked meat placed on a paper towel? To absorb some of the oil left after frying. This way, the polenta will not be unnecessarily loaded with fat when layering. 5. Can it be made without blood sausage? Yes, but it will no longer be the same recipe. Blood sausage is one of the ingredients that gives the dish its flavor and character. If omitted, only polenta, sausage, egg, and cheese remain, but the combination will be different. Nutritional Values The values are estimates and cannot be calculated precisely, as the recipe does not specify the amount of cornmeal, oil, butter, sausage, blood sausage, and cheese used per serving. For an average serving, the dish may have approximately 700-1,000 kcal, depending on how much polenta and smoked meat are placed in the bowl. Estimated: Protein: approximately 30-45 g Carbohydrates: approximately 50-80 g Fats: approximately 40-65 g The largest variation comes from the sausage, blood sausage, the amount of oil, and cheese. The cornmeal mainly contributes carbohydrates, while the egg and meat provide a significant portion of the protein and fats. Storage and Reheating It is best to serve the dish immediately while the polenta, smoked meat, egg, and cheese are warm. After cooling, the polenta hardens, and the layers do not have the same texture as initially. If a portion is left, store it in the refrigerator in a covered container and consume it as soon as possible. Reheat until the dish is warm again, but the polenta may become firmer, and the layers will not have the same consistency. For this reason, the recipe is better suited for immediate consumption rather than long-term storage.

Shut up and swallow!

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