Polenta in Carriage is a very rich and succulent appetizer, filled with cooked ham and smoked provola. It’s the perfect recipe to prepare for festive occasions, buffets, or as a side dish to pizza. It’s easy, tasty, and ideal for using up leftover polenta. I recommend preparing the polenta at least a day in advance to give it time to firm up perfectly. Polenta in Carriage can be fried or oven-baked and is delicious both hot and cold. Below you will find some polenta-based recipes from the blog. If you’re interested, use the search icon at the top right of your screen and enter the word -polenta- to find other interesting and delightful recipes, even sweet ones.
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 2 Hours
- Portions: 16
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 9 oz cornmeal
- 4 1/4 cups water
- 1 tsp coarse salt
- 10 1/2 oz cooked ham
- 7 oz smoked provola (fresh or semi-aged)
- 4 medium whole eggs
- salt and pepper
- to taste breadcrumbs (also gluten-free)
- to taste vegetable oil
Tools
- 1 Loaf Pan
Steps
Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
Prepare the polenta. Pour the water into a saucepan and, when it is warm (but not boiling), add the cornmeal and stir quickly; this will prevent lumps from forming. Add the coarse salt and continue stirring until the polenta is very firm. It’s very important for this recipe that the polenta is well set.
Pour the hot polenta into the previously prepared pan, tap it several times on the table to settle it and fill any spaces, level it, and let it cool completely.
While the polenta is cooling, slice the provola very thinly and let it drain any excess whey (both provola and fior di latte are much drier than mozzarella).
After about an hour, remove the polenta from the mold and place it on a cutting board.
Remove the parchment paper to prevent condensation.
Cut the polenta “loaf” into slices about 1/4 inch thick.
Place some breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and in another, place the beaten eggs with a pinch of fine salt and pepper.
Frying
In a deep pan, pour vegetable oil for frying and heat it over medium flame on a small burner.
Place a slice of provola and half a slice of cooked ham on a polenta slice, being careful not to let them spill out.
Cover with another slice of polenta, forming a kind of sandwich.
Dip the polenta “sandwich” in the egg (on all sides), then coat it in breadcrumbs, on all sides, and fry in deep oil for about 2 minutes per side or until the polenta in carriage is golden. Continue until all ingredients are used.
Drain and place on absorbent paper, add another pinch of salt and pepper, and serve them hot or warm.
Oven Baking
Preheat the oven to 392°F.
Line a rectangular tray of approximately 12 x 14 inches with parchment paper.
Cut the polenta into slices, stuff and bread as described above.
Place each perfectly breaded and stuffed piece on the parchment paper.
When the polenta and ingredients are finished, immediately place the tray in the oven on the lowest level for about 10 minutes or until the base is golden. Then flip them and let them brown for another 5 minutes or so. Alternatively, you can use the grill function to brown the surface.
The baking mode and time depend on the type of oven you have. In this case, mine is gas, static with heat only from the bottom.
Bon appetit
