Polenta Pastizada----Venetian Polenta Pie - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup bacon, finely chopped
1 cup raw veal, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lb ripe tomatoes or 1 lb canned tomato
salt and pepper
1 1/2 ounces dried mushrooms
1/4 lb chicken giblets
3 cups cornmeal
5 ounces parmesan cheese, half grated,half very thinly sliced

Preparation

Make sauce: Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of butter, and gently saute the onion, carrots, celery and bacon until they change color.
Add the veal, let this brown, then pour in the wine.
Cook for 5 minutes.
Peel, seed, and finely chop the tomatoes.
Add these to the pan, season with salt and pepper, cover and cook gently for 1 1/2 hours.
While the sauce cooks: Soak the mushrooms in warm water and finely chop the giblets.
When the mushrooms have been soaking for 30 minutes, drain, pat dry, and chop finely.
Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil, at least 8 1/2 cups.
Pour in the cornmeal, stirring constantly, lower the heat, and cook gently, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes, or until it is a thick, smooth mass.
Pour it into a square baking pan, let it cool, and then cut into 1/4 inch thick slices.
Set aside.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter and saute the mushrooms and giblets gently for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle lightly with salt.
Rub a fairly large pie dish generously with butter.
Cover with a layer of polenta, and spread with a layer of the meat sauce, another of polenta and one of mushrooms and giblets.
Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and add a layer of sliced Parmesan.
Dot with butter.
Continue in this manner until all the ingredients are used up, finishing with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan and slivers of butter.
Bake at 475 degrees 30 minutes, or until heated through and serve very hot.