Savory polenta slices

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 225 g polenta
• ¾ liter of water
• ¼ liter of milk
• ½ tsp salt
• 30 g butter, nB
• 2 tbsp Parmesan, or Pecorino, nB
• olive oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 35 minutes

Bring water, milk, and salt to a boil in a sufficiently large pot. Stir in the polenta semolina and reduce the heat to low (on my stovetop, level 2 out of 9). Be careful, the mixture will bubble vigorously at first and will be very hot! Let it swell for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, grease a baking dish with olive oil. Once the soaking time is over, stir in butter and cheese, if desired. Pour the polenta mixture into the baking dish, smooth it out, and let it cool. Then cut into strips (size as desired) and fry briefly in a pan. For thinner slices, I use a round dish with a diameter of 33 cm; for thicker slices, a rectangular dish measuring 32×20 cm. The mixture becomes so firm that different shapes can be cut out. The amount of salt is relatively low but sufficient when served with thickly cooked sauces. It goes well with meat dishes with plenty of sauce. Tip: If you reduce the amount of semolina to 185 g and use the same amount of liquid, you will get a polenta porridge after the soaking time.