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Sliced polenta cropa on a wooden board showing its dark buckwheat crumb and melted Casera cheese ribbons

Polenta Cropa della Val d'Arigna with Melted Casera

A dense, buckwheat-forward polenta from Val d'Arigna, simmered slow and finished with butter and melted Casera cheese.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Hearty Side Dish
Cuisine: Alpine
Calories: 640
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Polenta Base
  • 280 g buckwheat flour (grano saraceno) stone-ground, this is the local cropa
  • 120 g fine to medium cornmeal
  • 1.6 liters water / 1600 ml; cold, at the start
  • 2 tsp coarse salt about 12 g
To Finish
  • 150 g unsalted butter cubed
  • 200 g Casera cheese cubed or grated, Fontina or Bitto also work

Method
 

  1. Bring 1.6 liters / 1600 ml of water to a rolling boil in a 24 cm / 9.5-inch heavy-bottomed pot. Add the salt.
  2. Whisk the buckwheat flour and cornmeal together in a bowl so they're evenly combined before they hit the water.
  3. Reduce the heat slightly so the water is at a strong simmer, not a violent boil. Rain the flour mixture in slowly with one hand while whisking constantly with the other, to keep lumps from forming.
  4. Once all the flour is in, switch to a wooden spoon or tarello and lower the heat to a gentle simmer.
  5. Cook for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring every few minutes and scraping the bottom, until the polenta thickens into a dense mass that pulls cleanly away from the sides of the pot.
  6. In the last 5 minutes, pull the pot off direct heat. Add the butter in pieces, stirring until melted.
  7. Add the Casera in small handfuls, folding between additions, until the cheese melts into the polenta and the mixture looks glossy rather than oily.
  8. Taste and adjust with black pepper if you like. The salted cooking water and cheese usually cover the seasoning on their own.
  9. Pour the polenta onto a wooden board or into a warm bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes to firm up slightly before slicing or serving with a ladle.

Notes

  • Cropa is the dialect word for buckwheat flour in Val d'Arigna, not a separate grain
  • A heavy-bottomed pot prevents scorching during the long 45 to 50 minute simmer
  • Add cheese off direct heat so it melts smoothly instead of turning oily
  • Salted cooking water plus Casera means you rarely need extra salt at the end