Grey Polenta

Bring to a boil A liter of salted water, then immerse the ajuga and boil them for about ten minutes. Check for doneness when the leaves and stems are tender when pressed with a fork, without completely falling apart. Keep the liquid warm: it will serve as a base for incorporating the flour and obtaining a polenta with its characteristic gray hue.

Add the cornmeal sprinkling in gradually Add the anchovies directly to the cooking water, stirring immediately and continuously. Add the anchovies gradually to avoid lumps. Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth. a mixture smooth and soft, in which the vegetables remain well distributed and the colour takes on a uniform greyish hue.

Continue cooking the polenta for about thirty minutes, maintaining a moderate boil and stirring regularly. Check the consistency: the mixture It should remain soft and creamy, not dry, while the flour completes its cooking. The consistency is correct when the spoon passes through the polenta without encountering lumps or raw parts.

Cut the toma Dice the polenta and add it to the cooked polenta. Stir carefully until the cheese is evenly distributed and melts. into the mixture The mixture should be well-blended, stringy, and smooth, with the cubes no longer visible as separate elements and a consistency still soft enough to be served with a spoon.

Reduce the pancetta salted pepper, cut into regular cubes and brown in skillet along with the butter. Sauté over medium heat until the cubes are nicely browned and slightly crispy on the outside, releasing their aroma. Avoid burning the bottom: the cooking fat should remain usable to flavor the polenta.

Take a few spoonfuls of the sauce produced by cooking the pancetta and incorporate it into the polenta with the toma. Mix to distribute evenly and enrich the mixture with the taste of butter and pancetta. Delete from skillet any excess fat, so as to leave the cubes dry and well browned.

Bring the cubes back to the skillet Drain off any excess sauce and cook them briefly. Let them dry without overcooking. on the heatThey should retain a distinct golden brown color and a dry texture, without becoming burnt. Keep them ready to be added just before serving.

Distribute the still hot grey polenta onto the plates and pour the diced tomatoes over it. pancetta just dried. Serve immediately, so the base remains soft and creamy while the pancetta maintain the crunchy contrast. Make sure that each portion receives both the polenta and the toma be a balanced part of the pancetta golden.