Banosh

Yes, by replacing the soured cream with a thick plant cream, soya or oat, sharpened with a spoonful of lemon juice just before cooking. Crumbled salty vegan cheese stands in for the brynza. The texture stays very close, though the richness on the palate is not quite the same.

The liquid must be at a bare simmer, not a boil, and the cornmeal has to fall in a fine stream from one hand while the other whisks without stopping. A lump formed at that stage never breaks up later, because it seals itself in a cooked crust. The following twenty-five minutes are done with a wooden spoon; the whisk only matters while pouring.

Ordinary fine cornmeal, the kind that needs real cooking. Instant polentas are precooked and set solid in two minutes without ever letting the fat separate. A coarse grind, on the other hand, needs more liquid and considerably more time.