Polenta Lemon Cheese Cake

A much lighter cheesecake than what you are used to :). Maybe it’s not what you have in mind when you are thinking at cheesecake. But polenta is a perfect pair for any kind of cheese so why not adding some lemon juice, lemon zest and ricotta and bake it a little ? What can go wrong ? :) Let’s give it a try. Last year I posted an article about how to prepare classic polenta followed by “Polenta Margherita”. The classic polenta story continues with the “Lemon Cheese Cake” version, despite the reputation of a “not so easy” dish to make (which is not entirely true). Yes, it takes 30-40 minutes to make it but it’s worth trying. However if you are short on time you can try this recipe also with instant polenta.

You can find the flour for classic polenta in different grinds from fine and medium to coarse. I bought mine from the local market but you can easy find it in italian stores. On the package you will see the cooking time, usually from 30 to 40 minutes.

The Recipe

Use a cast iron or a thick bottom pot for best results and for preventing the polenta to stick.

Start by adding the flower and a pinch of salt in the cold water. I recommend to start with a ratio of 3.5 to 1, volume of water to volume of flour - for example 1 cup of flour to 3.5 cups to water. (You can replace a part of water with rice drink if you consider). Keep handy another two or three cups of hot water (liquid) for completing if necessary during the cooking process. Just be sure the completing water is hot. I also recommend to measure the completing water you add during the cooking process so the next time you make polenta using the same kind of flour you know the water-flour ratio from the start and you add all the water from start. Anyway it is recommended to have near you some hot water during cooking process just in case.

So you should have the flour mixed with cold water in a ratio of 3.5 to 1 water to flour. Bring to a boil and maintain the boil with a medium low setting of the heat for the first 10 minutes while periodically whisking. After 10 minutes turn the heat to the lowest setting, change the whisk with a wooden spoon and mix every 2 or three minutes. The classic polenta should cook in 30-40 min. If you notice that the composition thickens too early, add hot water and mix to incorporate. You can use a lid in order to protect the kitchen from the hot polenta drops that may jump from the pot.

I used a ratio of 4 to 1 for a creamy polenta with my current flour.

While cooking the polenta beat well the eggs in a large bowl then add the ricotta, the lemon juice and zest and mix well all ingredients. At this point you can add two spoons of honey or maple syrup as a sweetener.

Also don’t forget to preheat the oven to 215C with ventilation.

Before you finish the polenta give it a taste. It should be creamy. At this point the polenta is still very soft and you can pour and incorporate the ricotta-egg mixture from the bowl. Mix well and transfer the composition in a round or rectangular baking dish. You should aim for a thickness of about 2-3 cm more or less so be careful when you choose your baking dish.I used a 20 cm cast iron pot for cooking polenta and a 26 cm cast iron pan for baking. I also used baking paper.

Bake it for 35-40 minutes and check it from time to time. Let it cool down before serving. Keeping it in the refrigerator one or two hours before serving is a good idea. Enjoy !

INGREDIENTS - for about 6 persons