I picked up only one new cookbook during my visit to Rome in November. It’s called Un po’ piĆ¹ su: La mia cucina di montagna, or “A Little Higher: My Mountain Kitchen” by Davide Zambelli, one of my favorite YouTuber chefs at the moment. Zambelli hails from the mountainous region of Alto Adige aka SĆ¼dtirol, a German speaking area in the Tyrolean Alps which used to be part of Austria, and the cooking of the region very much reflects its history and topography.
I really enjoy the cuisine of the regionāand Zambelli’s charming videos have rekindled my interestābut it’s not one I know terribly well. I’ve only been there a few times, and it’s been quite a few years since my last visit. But I do remember that I ate very, very well. The cuisine includes many dishes I’d gotten to know when I lived in Vienna, with local versions of classics like canerderli (knƶdl), Spaetzle and Apple Strudel. And to my taste they were even more delicious than the Viennese ones. Among other things, I remember having the best canederli of my life in the region’s capital, Bolzano.
One of the most appealing dishes I’ve discovered in Zambelli’s book is also one of the humblest: la mosa, a kind of loose polenta made with milk, water and just a bit of cornmeal, thickened into a creamy porridge with flour and water paste. Traditionally, you serve la mosa in the same iron skillet you cooked it in, smothered in (un)healthy dose of browned butter, placing the skillet in the middle of the table with enough spoons so everyone can dig in.
La mosa would be a lovely way to open a meal. (Zambelli calls it an antipasto but others might think of it as a primo.) It can also be served as a comforting snack. And in its sweet version (see Notes below) you could also close out your meal with la mosa as dessert.
Simple but delicious. And incredibly comforting. This is true cucina povera at its best.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 700ml (3 cups) whole milk
- 600ml (2-1/2 cups) water
- salt
- 50g (1-3/4 oz) cornmeal
For the thickening paste:
- 20g (2-1/2 Tbs) flour
- 30ml (1 fl oz) water
To finish the dish:
- 30g (1 oz or 2 Tbs) butter, or more to taste
- black pepper (optional)
Directions
In a skillet or braiser, preferably made of copper or carbon steel, bring the milk and water to a simmer. Add a small pinch of salt and the cornmeal, whisking vigorously as if you were making polenta. Let the mixture simmer for about 30-40 minutes, stirring from time to time.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and water into a paste.
A few minutes before the mosa is done simmering, whisk in the paste. It should thicken into a creamy porridge. When done, taste and adjust for seasoning.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over gentle heat, until it turns hazelnut brown.
Take the pudding off heat and serve it in its own skillet, topped with the browned butter and, if you like, a good grinding of black pepper.
Notes
Zambelli’s recipe for la mosa only specifies farina di mais (corn meal) without specifying the type. But as we’ve pointed out before, Italian cornmeal tends to be more finely ground than in, say, the US. So I’d use medium or finely ground cornmeal or, even better, imported bramata or fioretto polenta. (The one recipe I’ve see that specifies calls for fioretto.)
You should use for a carbon steel or copper skillet or braiser if you have one to make your mosa. It’s more than just a question of tradition. These metals promote the formation of a tasty little crust at the bottom that locals call Scherren, a bit like the socarrat on a paella. You could use stainless steel, but if you want that Scherren to form, avoid non-stick.
Be careful with the salt at the beginning. Just a small pinch, recalling that the mixture will reduce as it simmers. Then taste and adjust for seasoning just before serving.
You will need to adjust the heat as you go. As the polenta mixture reduces and thickens, it really starts to bubble. Lower the flame as needed to maintain a good simmer but not a rolling boil and avoid your mosa from splattering all over your cook top.
Of course you can also adjust for thickness. Add more milk if things get too stodgy, or more flour if things are too loose. Or just keeping simmering.
Variations
La mosa is also lovely, as you can well imagine, topped with grated aged cheese. Zambelli doesn’t specify which, but a typical local grating cheese would include Trentingrana. I’d feel free to use any relatively mildly flavored grating cheese like grana Padano or parmigiano-reggiano.
Aside from this basic version, Zambelli he says la mosa is also excellent as a sweet dessert, topped with sugar and cinnamon. Some sweet versions call for a topping of poppy seeds.
The ratio of milk to water can vary among recipes. In many you add much more milk than water. Some recipes call for a shorter or longer simmer, from 20 minutes or up to an hour. (As a general rule, the coarser your cornmal, the longer it will take to cook.) And in many recipes, but not Zambelli’s, you let the polenta simmer gently over low heat without stirring, so that it forms that lovely Scherren.
As always, the recipe for la mosa varies from place to place. In the Trentino, just south of Alto Adige, they add grated grana Padano. In the val Badia area they add buckwheat flour. And in Vicenza, in the neighoring region of the Veneto, their version of mosa is a kind of pumpkin veloutƩ thickened with cornmeal.
A Demo
And now, for a treat! Let’s watch Zambelli himself prepare la mosa. It’s in Italian (without subtitles) but even if you don’t understand the language it’ll be instructive. You can observe the technique, watch the porridge simmer and, of course, notice the final texture you’re aiming for.
The video is interesting, because Zambelli varies a bit from his cookbook recipe. He adds more milk and less water (1.5l milk to 0.5 water). What can I say? Playing fast and loose with measurements, he’s very Italian in that way…
Zambelli also makes some interesting comments about the way he likes his mosa. For one thing, notwithstanding usual Italian tastes mentioned above, he prefers more coarsely ground cornmeal, he says, for its rustic, grainy texture. From the look of it and the way it cooks down, though, I’d say his polenta is more like our medium coarse stuff. And, although he continues to whisk the mosa throughout the simmer, he mentions how he likes a little crust on the bottom. Stirring prevents the bottom burning. Indeed, in my own version I found a slight crust forms even if you do stir.
La Mosa
Ingredients
- 700 ml 3 cups whole milk
- 600 ml 2-1/2 cups water
- salt
- 50 g 1-3/4 oz cornmeal
For the thickening paste:
- 20 g 2-1/2 Tbs flour
- 30 ml 1 fl oz water
To finish the dish:
- 30 g 1 oz or 2 Tbs butter, or more to taste
- black pepper
Instructions
- In a skillet or braiser, preferably made of copper or carbon steel, bring the milk and water to a simmer. Add a small pinch of salt and the cornmeal, whisking vigorously as if you were making polenta. Let the mixture simmer for about 30-40 minutes, stirring from time to time.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and water into a paste.
- A few minutes before the mosa is done simmering, whisk in the paste. It should thicken into a creamy porridge. When done, taste and adjust for seasoning.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over gentle heat, until it turns hazelnut brown.
- Take the pudding off heat and serve it in its own skillet, topped with the browned butter and, if you like, a good grinding of black pepper.
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When I hear the word Tyrolean I get excited! I think I was an Alpine skier in a previous life. This dish is fabulous. Beautiful. I want to dive in! I couldnāt get the volume to work so Iāll have to check this kid out online. I didnāt receive this post but it looks like your blog has changed? Hopefully I can re-subscribe.
Thanks so much, Mimi! Not sure what happened, but I’ve taken the liberty of adding you to our newsletter list. All the best, Frank
Must be heaven !
If you ask me, it isā¦ š
This dish feels like a warm embrace from the mountains of Tyrol! La Mosa’s simplicity, with its creamy texture and rich browned butter, captures the essence of cucina povera, humble ingredients elevated to something extraordinary very reflective of Italian Cuisine
Thanks so much, Raymund! It really is all that say.
I had never heard of this, but I know him. There is a new generation of italian home (YouTube) cooks that is really good and knowledgeable. I particularly like the sound of the sweet version. After a search on line, I see that the white flour is added almost from the beginning .
+ compliments for the new look of MoA (and, as usual, for its solid contents)
stefano
Lucky you, Davide seems like a really sweet guy! And as you say very knowledgeable.
On when to add the flour, I did also notice that in a lot of online recipes, especially the āno stirā ones, they add the flour almost from the start. But for whatever reason Zambelliās recipe doesnāt. I was a little worried that the mosa would taste of raw flour, but happily it didnāt at all.
Finally, thanks so much for the kind words on the new look! Iām very pleased with it myself. I finally have the website Iāve wanted for quite some time.
I can’t believe I missed this post. I must admit that it is the (un)healthy amount of butter that attracts me to a dish like this. I’ve only begun to love polenta in the last 20 years or so but it’s probably because I never had a good one.
The butter gets you every time, lol! Iām a huge polenta fan myself but this is something extra special.
This looks absolutely delicious. My family is from Friuli, where there is something very similar called zuf. The main difference is that a few pieces of squash are first cooked in the water for the polenta, and then whisked until they fall apart before adding the rest of the ingredients. The polenta is a coarse one.
I’ve loved your site for at least a decade! The new look is great.
Interesting. Sounds like a lovely dish, too. I have some extras squash in the fridge. May give it a try!
I’ve been to this region a couple of times and their food is quite different from regions in the south. This sounds like a very comforting dish.
Thanks, Karen!
I’ve never heard of la mosa before, but this sounds like a very comfort food dish – perfect for these cold, post-holiday days of the year. I want to curl up with a bowl of this on the couch. Of course, that’s not very Italian I’m sure…but it would be delicious! Also, great job on the new site layout. It looks incredible!!
Definitely delicious! And glad to hear you liked the new look. Iām very pleased with it myself, it was the vision I had for the site but never quite achieved. Until now!
this sounds very comforting Frank. Hope you had a great festive break.
sherry
I did. And I hope you did, too.
That’s a bowl of pure comfort and goodness!
Yes, it is! Thanks for stopping by, Angie.
I don’t know Davide’s website/YouTube videos but I must check them out; thank you for the introduction. I was introduced to this region’s cuisine by a former blogger — I am sure you remember him: Paolo. I love the Germanic influence, especially when I want pure comfort food, and the recipe you share today for La Rosa definitely qualifies. It isn’t too different from how I have made soft polenta for my lamb ragĆ¹ — I definitely need to try your authentic version. And I like that it can be made as a sweet, too, thought I can (unfortunately) see myself eating way too much of it after a dinner!
Of course I remember Paolo! And I still follow him on IG.I miss his podcast as well as his blog! Anyway, hope you like this. In fact, I think you will. š
This pudding is so much more interesting than polenta! Cheese and brown butter are great additions.
I do like regular polenta but I agree this treatment is quite special!
Just curious if Mexican masa, corn meal flour, might approximate the finer grind polenta in this recipe. Here in Tucson, we’re blessed with easy access to Mexican ingredients. There’s also a wonderful Italian grocery/deli, Roma Imports, but that’s a hike from my house, reserved for lunch.
Well, as you probalby know masa goes through a process (nixtamalization) that alters its properties. Not sure how it would react to this treatment but heck, why not give it a try and see?
I knew I was going to like this just by looking at your lead picture! Then it has a Scherren and aged cheese on top. Fabulous – I will be making La Mosa!
I think you’ll like it, MD. Thanks for stopping by!