Polenta taragna is darker and nuttier than ordinary polenta because buckwheat shares the pot with cornmeal. The long stir is not ceremony; it hydrates the flours and builds the texture that can hold butter and cheese without turning greasy.
Protected cheeses belong to their own places, so this home version uses a generic Alpine-style melting cheese and says so plainly. It gives you the structure of the dish without pretending the substitution is identical.
Set servings and units first. You can change them anytime.
Whisk the cornmeal and buckwheat flour together in a bowl. This prevents pockets of dry buckwheat from clumping in the pot.
Bring 7 1/2 cups water to a boil in a heavy pot. Add the salt.
Lower the heat to medium-low. Rain in the flour mixture slowly with one hand while whisking constantly with the other.
Once all the flour is in, switch to a wooden spoon. Cook at a steady bubble for 50 to 55 minutes, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes and scraping the bottom.
If the polenta gets too stiff before the grains soften, add hot water by the ladleful. It should fall slowly from the spoon, not stand in a block.
Turn the heat to low. Stir in the butter a few cubes at a time until fully melted.
Remove the pot from direct heat and fold in the diced cheese. Stir until melted and stretchy but not oily.
Taste for salt and black pepper. Serve immediately in warm bowls.
For a quick variation, use instant polenta plus buckwheat flour only if the package allows a 5-minute cook. Add the cheese off heat and expect a softer buckwheat flavor.
You made Polenta Taragna. Time to eat.
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Cheese breaks when the pot is too hot. Let the polenta stop bubbling hard before adding it, then stir steadily until it melts into the grain.
Six Italian regions. Nothing reformulated. Imported direct.
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