Romanian Baked Polenta with Sour Cream and Cheese
- Makes8 to 10 servings
- Cook Time1 3/4 hours
- Active time plus cooling35 minutes active
- 4
In Romania, mămăligă cu brânză și smântână, or polenta with cheese and sour cream, can be the center of a meal or served as a side to roasts and braises. We prefer the robust texture and flavor notes of coarse polenta or stone-ground yellow cornmeal. Instant polenta can be ready in a flash, but its taste and consistency are less nuanced. If you wish to use instant polenta, cook 1½ cups and 1 tablespoon salt in 6 cups water according to the instructions on the package. Add the butter and pepper to the finished polenta as directed. The dish can be made ahead. Assemble the layers in the baking dish, but stop short of adding the sour cream and final sprinkling of cheese. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, uncover and top with the sour cream and cheese. Cover with foil, bake at 425°F for 30 minutes, or until warm at the center, then uncover and bake until spottily browned, another 20 to 25 minutes.
Don't allow the polenta to cool before assembly. Layer it in the baking dish with the cheese while still hot, before it begins to stiffen and set up.
Step 1
Heat the oven to 375°F with racks in the upper- and lower-middle positions. In a Dutch oven, whisk together the polenta, 2 teaspoons salt and 6½ cups water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high, whisking often. Transfer the pot, uncovered, to the lower oven rack and bake for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, coat an 8-inch square baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter. In a medium bowl, toss together both cheeses.
Step 2
Remove the pot from the oven. Increase the oven to 425°F. Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and ½ teaspoon pepper into the polenta. Use a wooden spoon to scrape along the bottom and into the corners of the pot.
Step 3
Transfer about 2 cups of the hot polenta to the prepared baking dish and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle evenly with one-third of the cheese mixture. Spread half of the remaining polenta over the cheese, then sprinkle with half of the remaining cheese mixture. Finally, spread the remaining polenta on top. Add the sour cream and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining cheese.
Step 4
Bake, uncovered, on the upper rack until the edges are bubbling and the surface is spottily browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
