Rustic Farmhouse Polenta (Mamaliga Taraneasca)

We could call it whole grain polenta because it's made with mill-ground cornmeal to which I've added corn grits (cracked corn). Rustic and flavorful, it's a fitting side dish alongside traditional pork dishes (pork stew, tochitura). But it's also delicious just with grated sheep cheese, cold milk (boiled with a little salt), or cottage cheese and sour cream.

My mother dried the corn in the oven (to enhance the flavor), then shelled it and took it to the mill. There it was ground, and at home she sifted it, separating the cornmeal (flour for polenta) from the grits (larger pieces of corn; used for cabbage rolls). More recently, when I make polenta with mill-ground cornmeal, I like to add grits so it has a more rustic texture. I picked up this idea in summer from Oltenia, when I visited Stirbey Winery.

However, the technique isn't 100% traditional, because I discovered that if you soak the grits in water for a few hours, it reduces the cooking time by 20 minutes. Instead of cooking the polenta for almost 1 hour, after soaking, 30 minutes is enough for the grits to be cooked. For an authentic look, I pushed myself a bit to make the polenta firmer than I usually like (by the way, soft polenta is lower in calories: lucky me!), firm enough to cut with a string. In Oltenia, it's customary to spread this polenta in a pan, about 3 fingers thick, and bake it at low heat until it forms a crust.