Simple, original recipes from the mountains and fine specialities – the traditional cuisine from Trentino inspires with its versatility.
5 from 10 votes
Prep Time 10 minutesmins
Cook Time 50 minutesmins
Total Time 1 hourhr
Course lunch, Main Course, main dish, vegan, vegetarian
Cuisine Italy, Trentino South Tyrol
Servings 4servings
Calories 281kcal
Ingredients
For the polenta
1lwater
250-300gMaize semolinamedium (the more maize semolina, the more compact the polenta will be) - cornmeal
½tablespooncoarse salt
For the mushrooms
700gmushroomscep mushrooms and chanterelles
2garlic cloveswhole
olive oil as required
1-2tablespoonparsleychopped
saltas required
pepper as required
Instructions
Bring the water and salt to the boil in a copper kettle. A wide steel pot is also suitable. Add the maize semolina to the boiling water. To avoid lumps, stir the semolina in with a whisk. As soon as the mixture starts to boil, reduce the heat and stir the polenta constantly with a polenta spoon or larger cooking spoon from the bottom to the top. A traditional polenta takes about 45-50 minutes. When the mixture starts to separate from the edge of the pot and forms a crust, the polenta is ready.
In Trentino, the polenta is often spread on a wooden board; a string is attached to it to cut pieces out. If you like, you can also grill the pieces or fry them in olive oil. Cold polenta is also easy to prepare in this way.
For those in a hurry, many shops now sell pre-cooked "minute polenta" made from fine semolina that is ready to eat in a few minutes. However, real polenta connoisseurs prefer to use medium-ground maize semolina because of its more intense flavour.
Notes
Mushrooms: Clean the mushrooms and chop as desired. Heat the oil and garlic cloves in a wide pan. Add the mushrooms. Cover and fry over a low heat for about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the garlic cloves. Season with plenty of chopped parsley. Serve warm on top of the polenta.