Baked mămăligă with assorted toppings

Name: Baked mămăligă with assorted toppings
Ingredients: 500 ml water; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 200 g cornmeal; 70 g smoked pork belly; 50 g butter; 2 tablespoons sour cream with 40% fat; 150 g brânză de burduf cheese; 130 g smoked pork tenderloin; 1 egg

Diverse - Baked mămăligă with assorted toppings by Anca M. - Recipia

Baked mămăligă with assorted toppings, a Romanian layered polenta dish, is served hot, usually as a main course at lunch. The layers of polenta, brânză de burduf cheese and smoked meats come together in the oven, with the combination chosen to my taste, while the egg on top forms a golden crust. I like to serve myself a thick slice, with all the layers showing. Prep: 15 minutes. Cook: 65 minutes. Rest: 10 minutes. Total time: 90 minutes. Serves: 4. Approximately 560 kcal and 23 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the polenta

500 ml water
1/2 teaspoon salt
200 g cornmeal
70 g smoked pork belly

For the toppings

50 g butter
2 tablespoons sour cream with 40% fat
150 g brânză de burduf cheese
130 g smoked pork tenderloin
1 egg

Preparation

1. Cut the smoked pork belly into small cubes and the smoked pork tenderloin into thin slices. 2. Mix the brânză de burduf cheese well with the butter and sour cream. 3. Heat the oven to 180°C and line a baking dish with parchment paper. 4. Put the water and salt in a pot and boil for 5 minutes, until it starts to bubble. 5. Gradually pour in the cornmeal, stirring. Cook for 20 minutes, until the polenta thickens, then stir in the pork belly. 6. Spread half the polenta in the dish, then add half the cheese mixture and half the tenderloin. Top with the remaining polenta, cheese and tenderloin. Beat the egg and pour it over the top. 7. Bake for 40 minutes, until the egg layer is golden. 8. Let the dish rest for 10 minutes before cutting it.

Notes

Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; once cooled, the polenta firms up and the slices hold together better. For a meat-free version, you can leave out the pork belly and tenderloin; the dish still contains dairy and egg. Brânză de burduf can be very salty, so taste it before adding salt to the polenta water. Coarse cornmeal sometimes needs a few minutes longer than medium-ground cornmeal; taste a little before taking it off the heat. Soft butter mixes more easily with the cheese and sour cream, without leaving hard lumps. Pork belly with more meat keeps its cubes distinct, while fattier pieces melt further into the polenta. I serve it with a raw spinach salad; anyone worried about all those calories can look for spinach at the market.