Polenta Concia with Treviso Radicchio

La storia di questo piatto

Polenta concia is the quiet bread of Alpine kitchens, a peasant and mountain tradition from Valle d'Aosta to Veneto, with no founding date and no single author. This version, with Treviso radicchio beside it, is an interpretation rather than a codified recipe: the tardivo of the Treviso plains, cultivated there for centuries, meeting the creamy gold of the hills.

Ingredienti

• 350 g Medium-grind cornmeal for polenta
• 1.75 l Water
• 15 g Coarse salt
• 400 g Late-harvest Treviso radicchio
• 80 g Butter
• 120 g Semi-aged Monte Veronese cheese (DOP, Veneto)
• 80 g Finely grated aged Montasio cheese (Friuli)
• 60 g Shallot
• 15 ml Red wine vinegar
• 2 g Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 g Fine salt (for the radicchio)

Preparazione

1. Bring the water to a boil in a copper paiolo or a heavy-bottomed pot with 15 g of coarse salt over medium heat: it should boil vigorously without splattering. Pour the cornmeal in a steady rain, letting it slide through your fingers with a slow gesture and whisking as it falls, so each grain disperses into the water without forming lumps. Once all the cornmeal is in, lower the heat to minimum and switch to a wooden spoon, which won't scratch the bottom and gives you the right grip.
2. Cook the polenta over low heat for 50 minutes in total, stirring often and always in the same direction, so the mixture stays smooth and even. At first it will seem liquid, but don't worry: patience is what makes it velvety. It's ready when it pulls away from the sides of the pot and you smell cooked corn in the kitchen, sweet and round, no longer the sharp smell of raw flour.
3. While the polenta cooks, calmly prepare everything you need in about ten minutes: halve or quarter the radicchio heads lengthwise, cut away only the hard base of the core, wash the leaves, dry them well and cut them into wide strips about two fingers across; thinly slice the shallot; dice the Monte Veronese and finely grate the Montasio. Then return to stirring the polenta every so often until it's time to heat the pan.
4. About 13 minutes before the polenta is done, wilt the shallot in a wide pan with 30 g of the butter (the remaining 50 g are for the mantecatura) over medium-low heat. After a few minutes it should become translucent and smell sweet, without taking on color: if it starts to brown, lower the heat right away. Then raise the heat to medium-high, add the radicchio and sauté for about 5 minutes, moving it often: it should wilt but keep a living heart and some bite, not collapse into mush. Between passes, stir the polenta every minute or two so it doesn't stick to the bottom.
5. At the end of the radicchio's cooking, deglaze with the red wine vinegar and let it evaporate for about 30 seconds, lifting the flavors from the bottom of the pan. Season with 2 g of fine salt (just a little, since the cheeses will be assertive). Set the radicchio aside, keeping it warm.
6. Remove the polenta from the heat as soon as it's ready and mantecate it immediately, away from the stove: incorporate the remaining 50 g of butter in pieces, then the diced Monte Veronese and the finely grated Montasio, stirring energetically but briefly. Continue until everything melts into a creamy, slightly stringy veil that coats the spoon: the aged Montasio will give more flavor than stringiness, while the Monte Veronese provides the softness. The heat of the polenta is enough to melt the cheeses without tearing them; if oil starts to surface, you stirred for too long or the polenta was overheated.
7. Fold half of the sautéed radicchio directly into the polenta and stir just once, so it isn't entirely dispersed: it should remain visible, in wine-colored streaks against the yellow. Plate immediately in warm bowls, because polenta sets quickly, and lay the remaining radicchio on top, still crisp. Finish with a grinding of black pepper: the contrast between the warm, stringy base and the crisp, bitter topping is the heart of this dish.