Let’s prepare the polenta.

Pour the water into a saucepan and warm it slightly. Salt it and sprinkle in the cornmeal. Stir with a wooden spoon until the polenta becomes very firm; with these quantities, we will get about 19 oz of polenta. Let the polenta cool for a while. If using pre-made, leftover polenta, the time to make these delights will be significantly reduced.

Place the warmed polenta in a large bowl and mash it well with a fork to obtain a homogeneous mixture (it takes less than a minute).

Transfer the mixture to a non-stick pan and, over medium heat, stir and flatten the mixture continuously for about 5 minutes to let it lose its moisture (this step is important for a dry and crispy fry); use a wooden fork for this step too.

Let it cool for a few more minutes, then add the grated cheese, the salami cut into very small cubes (the one I used is already gluten-free and lactose-free) or thin strips, the parsley, and mix to blend all the ingredients well.

Let’s prepare the filled croquettes

Take small walnut-sized portions of the mixture, roll them between your palms, coat them in rice flour (for breading, you can also use cornstarch, cornflour, chickpea flour, or all-purpose flour if gluten is not an issue) and place each ball obtained on a plate or cutting board.

Polenta croquettes should be fried at room temperature, but if stored in the fridge, it is best to take them out at least half an hour before frying to prevent the oil temperature from dropping too much each time you add more croquettes, spoiling the final result. Additionally, I recommend breading them just before frying.

Now let’s move on to frying. Heat some oil in a pan and, when it’s hot, fry them few at a time until golden. Place the fried polenta croquettes on a plate covered with absorbent paper. Salt and pepper to taste.

.