Mamaliga with Brynza Cheese and Sour Cream
Thick, hot Moldovan mamaliga with salty brynza cheese and cold sour cream — a simple dish with a bold homestyle flavor.
Ingredients
- medium-ground cornmeal200 g
- water800 ml
- salt1 to taste
- bryndza200 g
- sour cream150 g
- butter40 g
Instructions
In a heavy-bottomed pot, bring 800 ml of water to a vigorous boil and season with salt to taste.
Reduce the heat to low and pour in 200 g of cornmeal in a thin stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
Cook the mamaliga over low heat for 25–30 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon and scraping the cornmeal off the bottom and sides.
Continue cooking until the mixture becomes very thick and creamy and starts to pull cleanly away from the bottom and sides of the pot.
Add 40 g of butter and stir until fully melted in.
Crumble the brynza cheese into small pieces and have 150 g of sour cream ready for serving.
Immediately spoon the hot mamaliga into bowls, top with the brynza and sour cream, and serve while the cheese is just starting to soften from the heat.
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