Polenta Pastizada----venetian Polenta Pie

Total Time: 2 hrs 45 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup bacon, finely chopped
• 1 cup raw veal, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dry wine
• 1 lb ripe tomatoes or 1 lb canned tomato
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 ounces dried mushrooms
• 1/4 lb chicken giblets
• 3 cups cornmeal
• 5 ounces parmesan cheese, half grated,half very thinly sliced

Recipe

• 1 make sauce: heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of butter, and gently saute the onion, carrots, celery and bacon until they change color.
• 2 add the veal, let this brown, then pour in the wine.
• 3 cook for 5 minutes.
• 4 peel, seed, and finely chop the tomatoes.
• 5 add these to the pan, season with salt and pepper, cover and cook gently for 1 1/2 hours.
• 6 while the sauce cooks: soak the mushrooms in warm water and finely chop the giblets.
• 7 when the mushrooms have been soaking for 30 minutes, drain, pat dry, and chop finely.
• 8 bring a large pan of salted water to a boil, at least 8 1/2 cups.
• 9 pour in the cornmeal, stirring constantly, lower the heat, and cook gently, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes, or until it is a thick, smooth mass.
• 10 pour it into a square baking pan, let it cool, and then cut into 1/4 inch thick slices.
• 11 set aside.
• 12 melt 3 tablespoons butter and saute the mushrooms and giblets gently for 5 minutes.
• 13 sprinkle lightly with salt.
• 14 rub a fairly large pie dish generously with butter.
• 15 cover with a layer of polenta, and spread with a layer of the meat sauce, another of polenta and one of mushrooms and giblets.
• 16 sprinkle with grated parmesan and add a layer of sliced parmesan.
• 17 dot with butter.
• 18 continue in this manner until all the ingredients are used up, finishing with a sprinkling of grated parmesan and slivers of butter.
• 19 bake at 475 degrees 30 minutes, or until heated through and serve very hot.