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1
Boil the Potatoes Until Very Soft
25 Mins
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F), then medium heat
Put the potato chunks in a large, heavy pot with 800 ml (3 1/3 cups) of cold water and most of the salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to medium and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the potatoes are very soft and starting to fall apart at the edges. Do not drain the pot — the starchy potato water is what the cornmeal cooks in.
Use a heavy pot if you have one: thin pots scorch cornmeal porridge easily once it thickens.
Done when: A fork slides through a chunk with no resistance and the edges are crumbling; the water looks cloudy with starch.
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2
Mash the Potatoes in Their Own Water
3 Mins
Low heat; the pot stays hot at about 90°C (194°F)
Take the pot off the heat for a moment and mash the potatoes right in their cooking water with a potato masher, until no lumps remain. Return the pot to low heat and stir once or twice — you should have a smooth, thick potato soup with no dry pieces.
Mash thoroughly now: any potato lump left at this stage will stay a lump in the finished porridge.
Done when: The mixture is smooth and lump-free, thick enough to coat the masher.
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3
Stir in the Cornmeal, Slowly and Without Stopping
12 Mins
Low heat; the porridge simmers gently at about 90°C (194°F)
With the pot on low heat, pour the cornmeal in a very slow, thin stream while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, moving the spoon in wide circles and scraping the bottom and corners of the pot. Keep stirring for 10 to 12 minutes as the porridge thickens, loosens and thickens again. If it gets too stiff to stir, add a splash of the warm milk.
Pouring the cornmeal too fast is how lumps happen — a thin stream and constant stirring are the whole secret of smooth kačamak.
Done when: The porridge is thick and creamy, pulls away from the sides of the pot as you stir, and a spoon dragged through it leaves a trail that closes slowly.
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4
Beat in the Butter, Milk and Sour Cream
3 Mins
Low heat, about 90°C (194°F); take the pot off the heat at the end
Add the butter cubes and the warm milk and stir until the butter has melted and the porridge turns glossy. Take the pot off the heat, add the sour cream and the remaining salt, and beat the porridge hard with the wooden spoon for a minute until it is smooth, soft and shiny.
Beating the porridge off the heat is what makes it creamy rather than stiff — keep going until it looks like thick, soft mashed potato.
Done when: The porridge is soft, glossy and spoonable, and falls from the spoon in a slow, heavy ribbon.
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5
Fold in the Feta and Serve Hot
2 Mins
No heat — serve straight away, about 70°C (158°F)
Fold in most of the crumbled feta, saving a little for the top, and season with the black pepper. Spoon the kačamak into 4 warm bowls, scatter the remaining feta over each one, and serve at once with a bowl of cold sour milk on the side.
Kačamak stiffens as it cools, so warm the bowls first and serve immediately — the feta should be just starting to melt into the hot porridge.
Done when: The feta is softening into the porridge and the bowls are steaming; the porridge still moves when you tilt the bowl.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Spoon the soft, glossy porridge into warm bowls, top with the remaining crumbled feta and a grinding of black pepper, and serve at once with cold sour milk.
Montenegro
30m
France
Vietnam