Kachamak
A Rhodope Mountain cornmeal porridge, cooked down thick and dense until it holds a mound shape, then topped with melted butter and crumbled sirene - stirring in the cornmeal in stages and cooking it much longer than a quick polenta is what gives real kachamak its dense, sliceable texture instead of a loose, soupy mush.
⏱ 40 min🍽 4 servings
dinnervegetarian
Ingredients
- •2 cups cornmeal
- •4 cups water
- •1 tsp salt
- •5 tbsp butter
- •7 oz sirene (Bulgarian white brined cheese), crumbled
Steps
- 1.Bring the water and salt to a boil in a heavy pot.
- 2.Reduce the heat to low and sprinkle in the cornmeal a little at a time, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
- 3.Once all the cornmeal is added, switch to a wooden spoon and cook, stirring frequently, for 25-30 minutes, until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pot and holds together in a dense mass - this much longer cooking time, well beyond a quick polenta, is what gives kachamak its characteristic dense, sliceable texture.
- 4.Mash and stir vigorously for the last few minutes to work out any remaining lumps.
- 5.Turn the kachamak out onto a plate, mounding it into a dome shape.
- 6.Melt the butter in a small pan until it just starts to foam, then pour it over the top of the mound.
- 7.Top generously with the crumbled sirene and serve hot, scooping from the mound at the table.