Polenta dumplings with cabbage and speck are a rich and tasty winter main course to be enjoyed hot straight out of the oven with a delicate cheese cream.
Large polenta balls served with a good sauce of cabbage, speck, and cheese make this recipe flavorful and inviting.
It’s a dish with a strong flavor, and given the richness of these ingredients, it can also be considered a complete meal.
This dish, typical of the winter period, can be considered a way to use leftovers because you can also use already cooked and leftover polenta and a different sauce suitable to your tastes.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economic
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients for Polenta Dumplings
- 8.8 oz Pre-cooked Yellow Cornmeal
- 1.1 lbs Cabbage
- 3.5 oz Speck
- 2.1 cups Milk
- 2.1 cups Water
- 1.4 oz Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 2.1 oz Butter
- to taste Salt
- to taste Nutmeg
- 1 Onion
- to taste Butter flakes
- 2.7 oz Milk
- 3 teaspoons All-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- to taste Salt
- to taste Nutmeg
- 0.7 oz Butter
Tools
- 1 Pot
- 1 Pan
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Baking Dish
- 1 Oven
Preparing Polenta
To prepare this recipe, start by cooking the cabbage.
Clean the cabbage by removing the outer leaves and the central core, then cut it into strips and rinse well in a colander under running water.
In a pot, bring water and salt to a boil, add the cabbage, and cook for about
3 – 4 minutes. Drain it and reserve the water needed for cooking the polenta, thoroughly remove excess water.Peel and slice the onion into thin julienne strips, sauté it in a pan with half the butter (1.1 oz) and a drizzle of oil, add the cabbage, stir and let it flavor, continuously stirring for about 10 minutes, finally add a pinch of salt and the speck cut into strips.
In a saucepan, pour the cabbage cooking water, it should be approximately 2.1 cups, if not, add more, also add the milk, a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Pour the cornmeal in a thin stream and mix well with a whisk to prevent lumps, if you used pre-cooked cornmeal, just 5 minutes of cooking is sufficient.
At the end of cooking, add the grated cheese, (leave a few tablespoons for later) the remaining 1.1 oz of butter, and nutmeg, mix and blend everything well, then let it cool.Prepare the cheese cream: in a small saucepan pour the milk, flour, nutmeg, butter, grated cheese, and a pinch of salt, mix everything well, turn on the stove, and cook for about 2 minutes until it becomes a thick cream.
Take with your hands or an ice cream scooper as many polenta balls as a large walnut, wet your hands in water and round them well, then place them on a baking sheet with parchment paper, approximately 27 pieces came out.
Take a 28 cm diameter ceramic baking dish, butter it well, pour two tablespoons of cheese cream, spread it on the bottom, then add some of the seasoning. Now place the polenta balls, sprinkle with the seasoning, the cream, butter flakes, and grated cheese.Bake the polenta dumplings with cabbage and speck in a preheated oven at 356°F with traditional cooking for about 15 minutes, at the end turn on the grill and let it brown for another 5 minutes.
Take out of the oven and serve the dumplings hot and steaming.
For other polenta recipes click here
What else can I use to sauce the polenta dumplings?
You can use a meat ragù, simple tomato and cheese, or anything else to your taste.
What can I substitute for the cabbage?
You can use chard, spinach, or broccoli.
