Polenta with fried lard in layers is a special traditional Maramures dish where potato polenta is combined with sheep cheese and smoked bacon cracklings. A true feast from the Lower Apsa area.
🥣 Ingredients
- potatoes
- cornmeal
- smoked bacon
- sheep cheese
- salt
- wheat flour or semolina (optional)
👩🍳 Instructions
Peel the potatoes, grate them and boil them. When cooked, mash the potatoes in their water. Add the cornmeal slowly, stirring continuously. In a frying pan, fry the smoked bacon cut into cubes until golden. In a larger bowl, form layers: the first layer – grated sheep cheese, the second layer – the polenta with potatoes (about a finger thick) and repeat. The last layer is the fried bacon cracklings. Steam the dish for about 5 minutes until the cheese melts or place it in the oven. A handful of wheat or semolina flour can also be added to the polenta.
📖 Story of the recipe
Recipe by Ileana Botos, 57 years old, from Lower Apsa (Apsa de Jos), Ukraine. This recipe is part of the “Maramures GastroEtnoArt” collection published by the Maramures Museum in Sighetu Marmatiei. This dish was usually served at the end of wedding parties or festive meals in Maramures communities.
🔍 What’s next
If you enjoyed this traditional recipe, also try Cabbage stuffed with buckwheat (haluste), another authentic Maramures dish perfect for the Lenten season.
© Recipe source: Maramures Museum Sighetu Marmatiei – Maramures GastroEtnoArt
Photo source: Gatesc.ro
