Polenta Pie (Tuscany)

Appetizers

Ingredients

Cornmeal - 3 cups

Water - 9 cups

Salt

Sauce:

Dried Mushrooms - 1 1/2 ounces

Olive oil - 1/4 cup

Butter - 3 tbsps

Ham fat - 1/4 cup

Carrot, finely chopped - 1

Celery, finely chopped - 1 stalk

Onion, finely chopped - 1 small

Lean pork sausage meat - 3/4 cup

Tomatoes, pureed - 1/2 pound

Salt and pepper

Garnish:

Butter - 6 tbsps

Grated parmesan cheese - 1 cup

Polenta: Make the polenta. Take it from the pan and spread it out on a wetted surface to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Let cool.

Sauce: Soak the mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes. Squeeze dry and chop finely. Put aside until required. Heat the oil and butter and gently fry the ham fat and vegetables until transparent. Add the sausage meat, crumble it with a fork and cook for a few minutes longer. Dilute the tomato puree with a little water, add to the pan, cover and cook slowly. After 15 minutes, add the mushrooms, season to taste with salt and pepper and continue cooking for 15 minutes.

Cut the polenta into rounds. Put a layer of these into a well buttered baking dish, spread with a few tablespoonfuls of sauce, dot with butter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Continue in this way until all the ingredients are used up. Put into a hot oven (450F) to heat through and brown the top and serve very hot with a bowl of additional grated parmesan.

Serves 6