Muntenian Baked Mămăligă with Mushrooms, Cheese and Sour Cream

This Muntenian version turns the familiar pairing of mămăligă, cheese and sour cream into a baked casserole with mushrooms underneath. A Romanian recipe source calls its preparation of mălai with sour cream and mushrooms typical Muntenian cooking. It lists cornmeal, milk, mushrooms, sour cream, cheese, parsley and salt, then directs the cook to set the mushroom caps in a dish, make mămăligă from the boiling milk and cornmeal, mix in sour cream, cover the mushrooms, add grated cheese and bake. The recipe here follows that sequence and quantity list while making the oven heat and polenta timing practical for a home kitchen.

The name mămăligă refers to a Romanian cornmeal preparation. Here, medium-ground yellow cornmeal cooks in milk instead of water, giving the base a richer taste and a tender but sturdy texture. It needs enough time on low heat for the grains to soften; frequent stirring keeps the dense mixture from catching on the bottom of the saucepan. The final mixture should be thick enough to spread over the mushrooms rather than pour like a sauce.

Large mushroom caps form the lower layer. Removing the stems leaves a shallow space and helps the caps sit cut-side up in the baking dish. As they bake, they soften and release moisture, which keeps the cornmeal layer from drying out. Arrange them in one close layer so the mămăligă covers them evenly. The source does not specify a mushroom variety, so large common mushrooms are used as a practical choice for caps that hold their shape.

The sour cream is stirred into the hot mămăligă before it goes into the oven. This is different from the simple stovetop serving in which chilled sour cream is spooned over the finished polenta. Mixing it through gives the baked layer a gently tangy, creamy quality. Use full-fat cultured sour cream; a thin cooking cream is not the same ingredient and would loosen the mixture.

The Romanian source names cheese but does not prescribe a variety. This version uses cow’s-milk telemea, a Romanian brined cheese that can be grated over the surface. Its saltiness seasons the mild cornmeal and mushroom layer. Taste the mămăligă before adding more salt, since telemea varies by maker. If using another grateable Romanian cheese, preserve its amount and taste before seasoning.

To make the polenta, bring the milk to a boil and add the cornmeal gradually while whisking. Once it thickens, change to a sturdy wooden spoon and stir slowly, scraping the bottom and corners. Keep the heat low; a thick cornmeal mixture can spit as it bubbles. The grains should be tender before the sour cream is added. If the mixture turns too stiff before the grains soften, work in a small splash of hot milk and continue cooking.

Spread the finished mixture across the mushroom caps and grate the cheese over the full surface. A shallow ovenproof dish lets the top brown in the stated 30-minute bake without requiring a deep casserole to heat through. At 190 °C / 375 °F, the cheese should melt and develop light golden patches while the mushrooms soften. Rest the dish briefly after baking so the hot mămăligă settles and the portions are easier to lift.

This recipe makes six portions and takes about 70 minutes from preparation through baking, including an estimated 20-minute polenta cook. Serve it hot as a filling meat-free main or as a substantial side; the source does not prescribe a meat accompaniment. The dish contains milk and cheese. Cool leftovers promptly in shallow covered containers and refrigerate them within two hours. Use them within three to four days and reheat the centre to 74 °C / 165 °F. The polenta firms as it cools, so cover it while reheating to retain moisture.