Taci și Înghite
(tahch she oong-ghee-teh)
Mămăligă Suppers (Polenta, Pork & Skillets)
Hailing from the sheepfolds of the Transylvanian Alps, this dish literally translates to 'shut up and swallow'—a fitting moniker for a meal so intensely comforting it silences the dinner table. The grandmother trick that elevates this from a standard weeknight polenta is hydrating the cornmeal directly in a bubbling cauldron of whole milk and cultured cream. You aren't going to find authentic Carpathian shepherd's cheese in an Ohio suburb, but mashing sharp feta with aged pecorino mimics that funky, salty bite beautifully. It is a decadent, smoky, unapologetic mountain meal that manages to pull together quickly on a Tuesday night.
Ingredients
- thick-cut applewood smoked bacon6 oz
- feta cheese in brine1 cup
- Pecorino Romano1/2 cup
- low-moisture mozzarella1 cup
- unsalted butter4 tbsp
- large eggs4
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- whole milk2 cup
- water2 cup
- crème fraîche1/2 cup
- kosher salt1 tsp
- medium-grind yellow cornmeal1 cup
- unsalted butter1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Render the pork.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the diced bacon in a cold skillet over medium heat, cooking for about 8 to 10 minutes until perfectly crispy. Transfer the meat to a paper towel-lined plate and discard the excess grease.
- 02
Mash the cheese blend.
In a medium bowl, vigorously mash the feta and pecorino together with a fork into a coarse paste to mimic pungent Romanian burduf cheese, then toss in the grated mozzarella.
- 03
Bring the dairy to a simmer.
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the milk, water, and salt over medium heat, whisking in the crème fraîche until completely smooth.
- 04
Cook the mămăligă.
Once the liquid is simmering, slowly stream the cornmeal into the pot while whisking constantly. Drop the heat to low and stir frequently with a wooden spoon for 15 to 20 minutes until the polenta is creamy and fluid, stirring in a splash of hot water if it stiffens too much.
- 05
Build the first layer.
Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish heavily with the softened butter, pour in exactly half of the hot polenta, and smooth it flat with a wet spatula.
- 06
Add the smoky, cheesy middle.
Scatter three-quarters of the cheese blend over the polenta, followed by the crispy bacon bits and half of the cold butter cubes.
- 07
Seal the filling and form the nests.
Pour the remaining hot polenta over the top to seal the cheese inside. Using the back of a wet spoon, press four deep indentations into the surface.
- 08
Bake with the eggs.
Crack an egg into each nest, scatter the remaining cheese across the dish, and drop a tiny cube of cold butter directly onto each exposed yolk to keep it from drying out. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the edges bubble golden and the whites set.
Notes
Balance the richness.
This dish is exceptionally rich; serve it straight from the baking dish alongside cold sour cream and sharp pickled vegetables to cut the fat.
From Cook Romanian in America.