One of the cherished traditional meals in Romania is 'Mamaliga cu branza' . A humble yet tasty meal, I grew up with my mom cooking it for us once in a while and this remains one of my favorite dishes I love to eat when I go back home.
Ingredients
200 ml water
50 g cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
50 g bacon
50g sheep cheese
50g fresh cheese
Method
Cut the bacon into stripes and cook till crispy then take it off the heat
In a sauce pan, bring the water with salt to a boil on medium heat and gentle stir with a whisk
Add gradually the cornmeal and continue stirring with the whisk to avoid forming lumps
Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the polenta thickens or according to package instructions
Using your fingers, break the cheese into small pieces and place them on the bottom of a bowl
On top of the cheese add half of the cooked bacon
Pour the hot polenta so it covers the cheese and bacon
Add again the other half of the cheese and sprinkle the bacon on top
Notes
I like to use the instant course cornmeal as it cooks in 2-3 minutes and saves a lot of time
For extra creamy and sourly taste you can add 1-2 tbsp pf sour cream on top
Bacon can be replaced or combined with smoked sausages or smoked ham
