Polenta dumpling with ham and cheese

As far as I know, the nearest equivalent would be deep fried  risotto balls  with mozarella cheese. But risotta is a popular dish in my home and there is never enough leftover to make these. Then came  the idea of substituting  polenta which has a similar sticky texture for the wrapping job.

My family was pleased with this because this meant a chance to try the farmhouse cheddar which we bought from London's Borough Market. The cheese was packed among our clothes, to prevent squashing,  but the tradeoff was  a huge washing mission to rid our clothes of the smell.

Judging from the speed the dumplings were polished off the plate,  the trouble was well worth it !

Makes 10 medium polenta dumplings.

Ingredients :

1 cup polenta, raw

3 cups water

Pinch of salt

10 cubes of cheddar

10 cubes of ham

Raw polenta for coating

Oil for frying

Method :

Bring water to a boil.

In a steady stream, pour the polenta into the boiling water.

Stir regularly. The polenta will spit and bubble, so take care not to burn yourself. I stirred with a pair of very long chopstick to avoid this.

When polenta looks set , about 10-20 minutes, turn off heat. Set pot aside to cool.

When polenta is cool enough to handle, scoop a generous tablespoon of polenta and make a ball.

Wet your hands for easy handling.

Push ham and cheese cubes into the polenta ball and roll to seal contents.

Roll balls on a bed of raw polenta to coat.

Fry balls until golden brown and crispy.

Serve hot with tomato salsa.