Sgagliozze finished dish
Sgagliozze. From Bari. They don’t generally eat polenta in the south of Italy. In fact a nick name here for northerners is “polentone” which roughly translated means “polenta eaters”. One of the exceptions is this dish from Bari. It is often available as a street food, especially in the old town. Many thanks to Memma for the recipe. She says they are her husband Michele’s favourite.
- 250g polenta flour, the quick cooking kind is fine.
- 1 l water
- salt
- oil for deep-frying
Sgagliozze ingredients
Boil the salted water, add the flour and mix it with a wooden spoon without making lumps.
Sgagliozze cooking polenta
When it is cooked (follow the instructions on the packet) pour it onto a board and form it into a thick rectangle. Let it cool down.
Sgagliozze cooked polenta
Cut the polenta into squares about 2cm thick. Allow them to dry out a little.
Sgagliozze sliced
Fry the sgagliozze in very hot oil until crispy.
Sgagliozze frying
Culinaria Italia - Italian Food and Cooking 
Ah polenta! This is one of the many ways my Nana made it. I got stuck in a Southern state & have to order my extra fine unleavened cornmeal or instant polenta from Amazon. Grits are just no substitute to my pallette of cheap, delicious comfort food.
I have always thought “grits” is such an unappetising name 🙂
Isn’t it though? And it just doesn’t have the versatility that polenta does. I suppose it could but it would end up having the texture of the sad pan of polenta my second eldest swore he could make on his own. Yes, I made him eat it with every meal until it was gone. My Nana, Papa, Nona & Poppy (he was a chef at The Rose Hotel in Chicago before the original burned) would have all haunted my dreams for not making him eat his mistake. LOL!
Grits is different – it is ground hominy. Southern US has cornmeal also – use it instead of grits.