CORN MEAL LOAF
Pasticcio di Polenta
The day before this dish is to be served, cook cornmeal very thoroughly with only enough water to make it very stiff. Turn out to cool in just the shape of the dish in which it has cooked.
Next day take this same dish, butter it and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Cut the mould of cornmeal in horizontal slices about ¼ inch thick. Lay the top slice in the bottom of the dish where it fits. Dot with two or three small pieces of butter and three or four dried mushrooms which have had boiling water poured over them and soaked some time. Moisten with cream and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Repeat slice by slice until the shape is complete. On the last slice put only two dots of butter.
Put in a moderate oven and bake three hours. If at the end of this time there should be too much liquid on top pour this off to use for the seasoning of some other dish, such as spaghetti, rice or noodles, and continue cooking until the liquid ceases to ooze.
[3] ] See [Suggestions, page 5.]
POLENTA PIE
Polenta Pasticciata
- 1 cup yellow corn meal
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Grated cheese
- Bolognese Sauce[4]
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil or butter
Make a very stiff mush of the cornmeal. Salt it well and when it is cooked spread it out to cool on a bread board in a sheet about an inch thick. Make a smooth white sauce of the milk, cornstarch and butter. Prepare the Bolognese Sauce according to its recipe. When the cornmeal is cold slice it down in half inch slices and cut into diamonds or squares. Butter a baking dish. Put in a layer of the cornmeal, sprinkle it with cheese and a few tablespoons each of the white sauce and the meat sauce. Repeat until the dish is full. Bake until the top is nicely browned. This seems like an elaborate dish, but it is very delicious and a meal in itself.
[4] ] See [page 23.]