Today I propose a truly delightful and very tasty recovery recipe. It is a polenta pie (that I had left over from a previous recipe), stuffed with provola cheese and speck, a real delight. It’s a delicious idea to prepare as a dinner saver, for Saturday evening, or for a buffet. The stuffed polenta pie can be cooked either in the oven or in a pan, depending on our needs. Moreover, this delicacy does not contain gluten.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 2 cups coarse cornmeal
- 4 1/4 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 14 oz provola cheese
- 2.5 oz speck or other cold cuts
- as needed oil for the baking pan or skillet
Steps
Prepare the polenta as you are used to or following the instructions on the package. When it’s ready, continue cooking it, stirring constantly over low heat, for a few more minutes (5 minutes are more than enough to make it firmer and dry it further).
Then immediately pour it into a baking pan and let it cool for about ten minutes if you will bake it; completely if you will prepare it in a pan.
Oven baking: line a 10-inch diameter baking pan with parchment paper and oil it well.
With the help of a fork, mash the polenta which will have firmed up by then and then divide it in half.
Pour the first half onto the base of the pan and level it with the back of a spoon, flattening it to about half an inch thick (in the last photo above, I removed the springform ring to make the polenta disc and thickness clearly visible).
Fill the polenta disc with two alternating layers of provola slices and speck (leave the edge of the polenta disc free for at least half an inch to prevent the filling from leaking out).
Pour the remaining polenta into the mold and flatten it well, sealing the edges with your fingers.
Place in the oven on the lowest rack and bake for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
Pan cooking: In a pan, the polenta disc will be made directly during cooking, as soon as the oil is hot.
Oil a large pan well (I used a 10-inch two-handled pan).
When the oil is hot, over low heat, pour in half of the polenta and flatten it with a spoon to create a disc about half an inch or slightly more in thickness. Make two layers of filling alternating slices of provola and speck, again leaving a half-inch border.
Add the remaining polenta and flatten it, pushing the edges down to close them and prevent filling leakage.
Turn up the heat (medium flame on a medium burner) and let it cook with the lid on for about 20 minutes or until, by gently shaking the pan, you notice that the polenta base moves, detaches from the bottom, and the surface has become opaque, dry, and hard; otherwise, it may stick to the plate and then splatter in the pan when you slide it.
At this point, generously oil a plate slightly larger than the pan and, being very careful, flip the pie onto the plate and then slide it back into the pan, letting it cook for another 10 minutes or so.
Bon appetit
