Polenta With Bruscitti
from Italian Traditional Food

Polenta with bruscitti is a typical Italian recipe

Polenta with bruscitti is a very popular Italian traditional food recipe from the northern Italy. This dish is a favourite winter warmer and is easy to make! Polenta with bruscitti is a typical dish from Milan. Polenta with bruscitti is made with both veal and pork meat. Also try out this other polenta recipe. Polenta is a yellow corn meal derived from maize. It's the staple food of the rural northern Italian diet. It can be served in different ways, as a first course, baked, with stews, or even as a bread substitute.

Serves: 4

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 90 minutes

Extras: Large copper pot or normal large pot

Ingredients for polenta:

500 g of maize flour
4 pints (2,000ml) of cold water
(follow the manufacturers recommended measurements on the packet of corn meal.)
As a rough guide, it is usually 50grams cornmeal to 200ml of water.
2 tbsp of salt

Ingredients for bruscitti:

300 g pork (minced)
300 g of veal (minced)
1 carrot (chopped)
1 celery (chopped)
2 medium onions (chopped)
1/4 glass of extra virgin olive oil
1 glass of red wine
700 g of tomato puree
salt and pepper (to taste)
cold water (1/2 glass)

Method:

1. Into a large saucepan add the olive oil.

2. Add in the chopped carrot.

3. Add the chopped onion.

4. Add the chopped celery.

5. Cook them for about 5 minutes over a medium heat.

6. Add the minced pork meat.

7. Add the minced veal meat.

8. Cook until the meat is browned all over.

9. Pour in the red wine.

10. Let the wine evaporate.

11. Add the tomato puree.

12. Stir all together.

13. Add a little of the water.

14. Cook for about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Make sure that the sauce does not reduce too much. If necessary, add some more water or wine.

15. In the meantime you can prepare polenta.

16. Put 4 pints (2,000ml) of water in a large saucepan.

17. Add salt.

18. Bring the water to boil.

19. Pour the corn meal slowly into the boiling water, keeping a thin, steady stream in order to avoid creating lumps in the corn meal.

20. Reduce the heat to a minimum.

21. Using a wooden spoon, stir continuously (in the same direction) for between 20 - 30 minutes. The longer it cooks, the better the flavour.

22. Remove from heat when the mixture becomes thick and doesn't stick to the sides. It should have the consistency of thick mash potatoes.

23. After cooking and stirring continuously for 40 minutes, the wooden spoon will stand upright in the polenta all on its own. That is when you know that the polenta consistency is correct.

24. Spoon the polenta onto a large serving dish.

25. Make a small well in the polenta to allow for the bruscitti.

26. Spoon the bruscitti into the middle of the polenta.

27. Serve hot.

Tip:

1. If you stop stirring the polenta it will stick and burn, so keep stirring!.

2. Polenta tends to bubble volcanically as it cooks with the bubbles bursting on the surface. Be wary about getting any on your skin as it can scald.

3. Polenta with bruscitti can also be served onto individual plates. Spoon a portion of the polenta onto a plate, then spoon the bruscitti next to the polenta.

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