The adjective of humble of these potato does true justice to a recipe that has dazzled us with its extreme simplicity. We can include them that subsistence kitchen that defines the porridge in all its variants, when the cereals that each region had closest to hand were cooked to warm the stomachs with something energetic. In this case we go to Galicia and resort to the cornmeal or million, so common in those lands.
Reviewing different versions of the same dish that we have been able to find on the networks, we verify that it is a recipe that is associated with other times and awaken memories of authentic village cuisine and grandparents. In its simplest version, water was cooked with cornmeal until it thickened to have something warm in the body before facing the day, but it could also be enriched with milk – often added only at the moment of serving – and sugar.
It is the variant most remembered today to give a more sweet point to a kind of custard that we can perfectly turn into vegan or lactose-free, using the liquid that we like the most, or adjust the texture to taste, leaving them more mellow or thicker. Cornmeal, white or yellow, it can’t be cornstarch (starch or refined) or coarse grain for polenta, or precooked arepas.
Place the chosen liquid or mixture in a saucepan, preferably with a thick bottom (about 250 ml per person) and heat at low temperature. Sift the cornmeal on top with the pinch of salt (two tablespoons per person) and begin to stir with rods until integrating.
Continue cooking gently without letting it boil to a boil, stirring gently with the rods or a spoon to prevent it from sticking to the bottom and clumping. Keep cooking until thickened to taste, keeping in mind that they will thicken more when they cool down a bit.
Add more milk, water or flour if you like correct texture on the progress. Serve hot in casseroles with a splash of milk and sugar to taste.
With what to accompany the millet potatoes
In its simplest version, this kind of porridge or corn porridge is taken as is, with a splash (or splash) of milk on top. To turn them into a dessert or snack something more sweet, the typical thing is to take them with brown or white sugar to taste, we can even use honey or gratin them if we have a Catalan cream-style torch, or serve them with ground cinnamon. To round off the flavor of yesteryear, we recommend accompanying them with some roasted walnuts or chestnuts, and some seasonal fruit such as mandarins.
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