Elarji — Cornmeal & Sulguni Cheese Pull

Ingredients

• 1 cup fine cornmeal
• ½ cup coarse cornmeal or grits
• 5 cups water
• 12 oz sulguni or low-moisture mozzarella, grated
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp salt
• Ajika or hot pepper paste, for serving

Method

1. Bring the water to a boil with the salt and whisk in the coarse cornmeal. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens.
2. Rain in the fine cornmeal while whisking hard and cook 10 minutes more, stirring constantly, until the porridge pulls away from the sides of the pot.
3. Drop the heat to low and add the cheese in three additions, folding and stretching with a wooden spoon after each. Your arm will complain — this is the recipe working.
4. Keep working it 5–8 minutes, until the mixture is glossy and pulls into long ropes when you lift the spoon.
5. Beat in the butter, then spoon onto warm plates immediately. Eat with your hands, pulling strands off, with ajika alongside to cut the richness.