Banosh (банош, Carpathian cornmeal porridge)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •A heavy-bottomed pot or small Dutch oven
• •A sturdy wooden spoon
• •A wide frying pan for cracklings and mushrooms

Instructions

1. 1

   Crisp the pork

   Put the diced pork belly or bacon into a heavy pan over medium-low heat and let it render slowly, stirring now and then, until the fat runs clear and the pieces turn crisp at the edges. Don't rush it. You want shkvarky, cracklings with bite, not burnt little stones.

   If your pork is very lean, add a spoon of sunflower oil or pork fat at the start so it renders rather than scorches.
2. 2

   Cook the mushrooms

   Lift the cracklings out with a slotted spoon and leave the fat in the pan. Add the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and cook until their water disappears, their edges darken, and the smell changes from damp forest floor to toasted and savoury. Set them aside with the cracklings.

3. 3

   Warm the dairy

   In a heavy pot, combine the sour cream, milk or water, and salt. Warm it gently until it loosens and trembles at the edge, but don't let it boil hard. Sour cream needs manners. High heat makes it split before the cornmeal can do its work.

   Full-fat sour cream is not decoration here, it is the cooking liquid. Low-fat versions split more easily and give a thinner banosh.
4. 4

   Rain in cornmeal

   With one hand stirring steadily in one direction, rain the cornmeal into the warm dairy with the other hand. Keep the stream thin so it doesn't clump. The mixture will look loose first, then grainy, then suddenly heavier, and the spoon will begin to leave a clear path through the yellow porridge.

5. 5

   Stir until glossy

   Lower the heat and keep stirring in that same direction until the banosh thickens, gleams, and pulls softly from the side of the pot. Listen for it: the wet splash quiets into a thick, soft thud. If it gets too stiff before the grains soften, add a splash of hot milk or water and keep going.

   The one-direction stirring is partly tradition and partly good sense. It keeps your movement steady and gentle, which helps the sour cream stay rich instead of splitting.
6. 6

   Finish the bowl

   Taste the banosh before you add more salt; brynza will bring plenty. Spoon it into deep bowls while it is soft and shining, then crown each bowl with crumbled brynza, mushrooms, cracklings, black pepper, and dill. Serve at once, while the edges still hold that buttery gloss.

Chef Tips

• •Use proper salty brynza if you can find it. If not, a sheep's milk feta is a practical London answer, a bit more modern, and still good at the table.
• •Banosh waits for nobody. Have the brynza crumbled, mushrooms cooked, and cracklings ready before the cornmeal goes in.
• •If the porridge splits a little, don't panic. Lower the heat, beat in a splash of hot milk or water, and serve it with confidence. The toppings forgive a lot.
• •For a meat-free bowl, skip the cracklings and cook the mushrooms in unrefined sunflower oil. It won't be the shepherd's version, but it will still feed people properly.

Advance Preparation

• •Crumble the brynza, chop the dill, and slice the mushrooms before you start; once the banosh thickens, you need both hands and no distractions.
• •Cracklings and mushrooms can be cooked a few hours ahead and warmed through just before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 280g)