Smočani Kačamak

Ingredients

• 500 g floury potatoes
• 1.2 litres water
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 250 g coarse yellow cornmeal
• 200 g young white cheese, such as a mild fresh sheep's cheese or feta
• 150 g kajmak, or clotted cream
• 150 ml whole milk
• 60 g butter
• 400 ml kiselo mlijeko or thin natural yoghurt, to serve

Before you cook

• Peel the potatoes and cut them into three centimetre chunks.
• Crumble the white cheese into small pieces.
• Measure the cornmeal into a jug so you can pour it in one go.
• Take the kajmak out of the fridge so it softens.

Steps

1. Put the potatoes in a wide heavy pot, cover them with the water and add the salt.
2. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat and cook the potatoes for 15 minutes, until they are falling apart.
3. Pour the cornmeal into the centre of the pot in one steady stream without stirring.
4. Let the pot boil undisturbed for 10 minutes so the cornmeal sinks and swells.
5. Turn the heat down to low and cook for another 20 minutes, still without stirring.
6. Ladle out most of the cooking water into a jug and keep it.
7. Beat the potatoes and cornmeal together hard with a strong wooden spoon or a kačamar for 5 minutes, until the mass is smooth and ropes off the spoon.
8. Add a splash of the reserved cooking water if the mixture is too stiff to beat.
9. Warm the milk in a small pan over low heat.
10. Add the crumbled cheese and the kajmak to the milk and stir until they melt into a loose cream.
11. Pour two thirds of the melted cheese into the pot and beat it through until the kačamak turns glossy and stretches.
12. Melt the butter in the small pan until it foams and just starts to smell nutty.
13. Spoon the kačamak into warm bowls and press a hollow into the top of each.
14. Pour the remaining melted cheese into the hollows.
15. Trickle the hot butter over the top.
16. Serve with a glass of cold soured milk on the side.