Oven-Baked Cheese Polenta Balls (Bulz) With Yogurt and Roasted Tomatoes

Bulz, a shepherd's snack of polenta balls stuffed with cheese, can be baked in the oven or cooked in the embers of an open fire. Jamie Orlando Smith Photography

Polenta can’t get any more original than this. In Transylvania, where my mom comes from, bulz is made in the oven, but in the south, it is flattened and griddled like a patty. Being a shepherd’s meal, the polenta balls are often thrown into the embers of an open fire, especially when dinners are enjoyed in the cool air of summer evenings. I dare you to try this next time you are having a barbecue—you can wrap the balls in aluminum foil, if you wish.

Serves 6 

• 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) coarse polenta
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 cup (9 ounces) plain yogurt
• 5 ounces hard sheep or goat cheese, grated
• 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) cherry tomatoes
• Olive oil, for roasting

To serve: 

• Scant 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) plain yogurt

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a large pan over high heat. Add the polenta, butter, and salt, whisking quickly to avoid any lumps forming. Turn the heat down to medium and keep whisking for 5 minutes, until the polenta thickens considerably. Add the cheddar cheese and yogurt, mix briefly, then spread the hot polenta onto a baking sheet. Leave to cool for around 20 minutes.