Rachel Roddy's Recipe for Cheese Fried Polenta | A kitchen in Rome

We had started washing up the night before, but glasses with bits of wine were still on the table, along with several odd bottles, plates, and various other debris. A table the next morning is like a beach after a storm, so cleaning it up is a bit like searching the beach, digging through bread crusts, tangerine peelings, spills and clogs, and discovering that the wire cage of sparkling wine has been twisted into a stick figure, a Ferrero Rocher wrapper has become a ring, and a walnut shell has been transformed into a tiny ashtray.

The table did not belong to me, but to an old friend. We had both enjoyed a lot of wine, and it was Sunday, and it was raining outside, and everyone was sleeping or under duvets and watching stuff on their devices, so there was no reason or rush to do anything. We sat at the table with the debris, drinking coffee for ages and deciding to only move when we needed to eat – the kids too. There were pots and pans all over the stove and we needed space. The bigger pot had what seemed like extremely dry remains on the bottom, so I put it in the sink and turned on the tap, thinking a good soak would help.

I still don't know how my friend managed to go from table to tap so quickly, especially considering our condition. She jumped up, shouting "Stop!" and, in doing so, turned off the faucet and overturned the saucepan. "Those are the best bits, you maniac," she said (in Italian), before sitting back down and rubbing her head.

Fortunately, polenta left overnight in a pan is tough and firm enough to be nearly watertight, so the water I sent was easily spilled and the leftovers dried with a dish towel.

At this point, everyone was awake, so cleaning was shared in order to start eating again. Getting polenta out of a pot overnight requires a combination of tools, if you want to get every bit of it. A spoon is best for removing the softer bits, or you can shave them off with a knife, while a spatula is best for scraping the sides, and a flexible palette knife is ideal for bits that appear to be welded to the bottom .

Out of the pan, the polenta looked like a huge pile of uneven rubble, which is the key to its fried success. First, a good amount of butter and olive oil were heated in the largest iron frying pan until foamy. A loose layer of polenta was added and pressed, so the bottom had a golden crust and somehow held together (although cleanliness was not the point), before the whole thing was turned over. While the new bottom had its own crust, the top was covered with a thick layer of grated parmesan cheese, which melted and created a mesh in the interstices. The grainy nature of polenta means that when fried it develops a nice crust as well as a center that looks a bit like custard. Eggs and bacon were fried in other pans and then piled on top of each serving of cheese and polenta rubble, which at the time was one of the best breakfasts I have ever had.

It is also one of the best snacks. And you don't even have to let the polenta sit in a pot either; leftover soft polenta can be scraped into an oiled tray or onto a piece of parchment paper and left to harden overnight. Then, the next evening or the one after, when you open a bottle of wine, cut thin slices or wedges from the fatty polenta pancake, sauté until golden and , in the last seconds of cooking, sprinkle very generously with parmesan, which again should be allowed to melt like a mesh. However, if you happen to leave the polenta in the pan for hours, once you've scooped it up and turned it into a breakfast or snack with a cool drink, fill the pan with water and let it soak before you even think about attacking the real dishes.

Cheese Fried Polenta

You don't need a recipe for this, but here are some notes:

Remaining polenta, or 200g polenta or instant polenta cooked as directed and poured into a tray or left to cool in a frying panButter and olive oil, for frying50-100 g grated parmesan cheese

Either break the polenta into irregular rubble or cut it into slices. Then, in a large skillet, heat a good amount of butter and olive oil and fry the polenta until nicely browned on both sides. Sprinkle very generously with parmesan and wait a few seconds until it melts.

For breakfast, serve with fried eggs and bacon, or for a appetizer or snack, serve immediately with a favorite drink.