Valle d’Aosta: Polenta Concia

Serves 4

350 g corn flour
170 g seasoned Toma cheese
170 gr Fontina cheese
80 gr Butter
Extra virgin olive oil, Salt, Pepper

Valle d’Aosta: Polenta Concia. In a very large pot, boil one and a half litres of water adding a handful of salt. Dice the fontina cheese and grate the toma cheese well, placing everything in a bowl. When the water boils, lower the heat slightly and pour in the cornflour, dropping it in a little at a time and stirring vigorously with a whisk. Add a little oil to prevent lumps from forming, lower the heat almost to the minimum and cook while stirring for 40 to 50 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, add the cheeses and butter and mix them with the polenta. Serve piping hot on the table, adding a few flakes of butter and cubes of fontina cheese, finishing with a sprinkling of black pepper. A nutritionally complete dish, it can be accompanied by pork meats such as sausages or ribs, stewed chicken and game. Of course, the combination with mushrooms is also very suitable. Polenta concia in its current form derives from the ancient recipe from the 14th century by Facino Cane, the condottiere who demanded to eat it every day, wherever he was. Widespread throughout the mountainous area of northern Italy, with many variations especially on the use of cheese, it remains a complete dish that, especially in the past, gave plenty of energy to the inhabitants during the harsh Alpine winters. Polenta concia is made exclusively with yellow maize flour and never with white flour. The caloric importance of the dish goes well with a medium-bodied, intense and fragrant red wine, such as a Pinot Noir.