cook.

Mămăligă

Name: Mămăligă
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Romanian
Ingredients: 200 g coarse cornmeal; 700 ml water; 1 tsp salt; 1 tbsp butter; 150 g brânză or feta, crumbled; 150 ml sour cream

Cornmeal beaten with water until it comes away from the pot, with cheese and sour cream on the side

Ingredients

200 g coarse cornmeal

700 ml water

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp butter

150 g brânză or feta, crumbled

150 ml sour cream

Method

Bring the salted water to the boil in a heavy pot - cast iron if you have it, because the bottom will otherwise catch.

Rain the cornmeal in through your fingers in a thin stream, whisking hard the whole time. Tip it in in one go and it will lump, and the lumps do not come out.

Drop the heat right down and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon every few minutes and pushing into the corners.

It is ready when it pulls away from the side of the pot in one mass and the spoon stands up in it. Beat in the butter.

Turn it out onto a board as a dome and leave it a minute to firm. Cut it with a length of thread rather than a knife, which drags.

Serve the cheese and sour cream alongside so each person can take them as they like.