Taleggio DOP in Tegame con Polenta e Porcini
Val Taleggio, Bergamo Alps, Lombardia
Taleggio DOP — the great washed-rind cheese of the Val Taleggio in the Bergamo Alps — melted in a terracotta tegame (low pan) with a small amount of butter until it becomes a liquid, slightly elastic, extraordinarily fragrant pool of copper-gold dairy. Poured over a slice of white polenta and topped with sautéed fresh porcini mushrooms, it is the quintessential Lombard autumn combination. The cheese's washed-rind character (bloomy, slightly tangy, intensely aromatic) dominates without overpowering when balanced against the mild polenta and earthy mushroom.