Each year, 32 cheese makers in the cantons around Lucerne produce about 45,000 rounds of Sbrinz, each weighing 95 lb (43 kg). Sbrinz is similar to Parmigiano Reggiano in many ways, but there are two major differences that makes this hard-to-find cheese worth the search: Sbrinz cows are free to roam the entire year and many live half their lives in the high Alps. Different herbs grow there than at the Po Valley, which means the milk, and therefore the cheese, tastes different.
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 cups instant polenta
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 bunch chives
- 3½oz (100 g) Sbrinz cheese or other Alpine cheese
- 6¾fl oz (200 ml) gravy
- freshly ground salt and pepper
How to Make It
- Bring the milk, vegetable broth, and butter to a boil in a pot. Add the minced garlic to the pot. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from heat and add in the polenta. Stirring constantly, follow the directions on the package.
- Let the polenta cool slightly, knead with the flour, then form into walnut-sized dumplings with moist hands. Cook for 15 minutes in lightly boiling water that has been salted. In the meantime, slice the chives into thin rings, grate the cheese, and bring the gravy to a boil.
- Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon and let drip-dry. Serve with gravy; sprinkle with chives and grated cheese. You may also decide to skip the gravy and serve with braised meats, such as the veal roast or pulled venison.
