Polenta fritters
“Even before the introduction of corn in the 16th century, polenta had been the staple of the poor in northern Italy for hundreds of years.”
- Polenta
- prosciutto - sliced
- fontina or gruyere cheese - sliced
- egg wash
- grated parmesan
- breadcrumbs
Before then, it consisted of grains and legumes mashed and cooked to a gruel-like mush. Once corn was introduced, farmers found that it produced more than other grains on the limited land area. Eventually it became synonymous with polenta.
Method
This is a good dish to use leftover polenta.
"Set" the polenta in a tray to
about 1/2cm thickness and refrigerate. Cut into 5cm squares or discs. Place a
thin slice of prosciutto and one of fontina or gruyere between two pieces of
polenta. Dip the fritters in egg wash, dredge in a mixture of one-third grated
parmesan and two-thirds breadcrumbs and shallow fry them till golden in olive
oil or butter.
