Mamaliga

Photo: flickr user Special*Dark

Ingredients

2 cups freshly-ground cornmeal

4 cups to 5 cold water or vegetable stock

1 tablespoon vegetable seasoning salt

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon sea salt

pound mild-flavored raw-milk cheese, such as Monterey Jack or Muenster

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a heavy 4-quart pot, dissolve the cornmeal in the cold water of stock. Add the vegetable seasoning salt and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. The cornmeal will thicken as it cooks.

As soon as it has thickened and is heaving, lower the heat to medium, cover and cook for 25 minutes, lifting the lid frequently to stir. Add more water if it becomes to think to stir. Halfway through the cooking time, add the butter and salt.

Slice the cheese thinly. In an oiled 4-quart heavy ovenproof casserole, layer the cornmeal and cheese in 3-4 layers, ending with a top layer of cheese.

Bake, covered, for 40 minutes; uncover and place under the broiler for 5 minutes or until the cheese browns lightly.

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About

You can substitute crumbled, seasoned tofu for the cheese and safflower oil for the butter to make this vegan, though the cheese really adds to the dish. From The Natural Gourmet by Annemarie Colbin.