Mămăligă cu Brânză și Smântână

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Country of Origin: Moldova

Description

A thick, golden yellow cornmeal porridge served sliced alongside salty sheep's milk feta cheese, sour cream, and pan-fried pork lardons.

Presentation & How It's Eaten

Unmolded whole onto a wooden board, traditional cut using a clean cotton thread, served hot with side bowls of cheese and cream.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups fine yellow cornmeal (polenta)

• 4.5 cups water

• 2 tbsp butter

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 cup brânză (salty sheep's milk cheese or feta), crumbled

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1/2 lb pork belly or thick bacon, diced (tocană)

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Boil Water: Bring water and salt to boil in a heavy iron pot (ceaun).

2. Add Cornmeal: Pour cornmeal in a steady stream into boiling water, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.

3. Cook Mămăligă: Reduce heat to low, switch to a wooden spoon, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring continuously until thick and pulls away from pot sides. Stir in butter.

4. Fry Pork: Fry diced pork belly in a skillet until golden and crisp.

5. Unmold & Serve: Invert heavy cornmeal block onto a wooden board. Serve warm with crumbled cheese, sour cream, and crispy pork lardons.

Optional

• Fried Eggs: Serve with a fried sunny-side-up egg on top.

Cooking Tips

• Thread Cutting: Slice the thick cooked block using heavy sewing thread or baker's twine for clean cuts without sticking to knives.

Nutrition Facts

(Estimated per serving, based on 4 servings)

• Calories: ~480 kcal

• Total Fat: 28g

• Saturated Fat: 14g

• Cholesterol: 65mg

• Sodium: 720mg

• Total Carbohydrates: 44g

• Dietary Fiber: 4g

• Sugars: 2g

• Protein: 14g