Gluten free semolina substitute?

[krissywats]

Any thoughts? I'm dying to make a quenelle recipe I found but it calls for semolina and I haven't figured out what to replace it with? Buckwheat flour? Polenta? A combination? Would love ideas.

Thanks!!

[wyogal]

Maybe you could post the recipe? My first thought is cornmeal, but without the original recipe it's kind of hard to tell.

[krissywats]

Good idea - here is a link!

http://www.raymondblanc.com/Portals/1...

[queenscook]

I'm not an expert, but it seems that cornmeal or polenta would have a similar consistency and might work.

[krissywats]

Thanks - yes, that was my first thought. I'll try polenta first.

[paulj]

The recipe starts with making a porridge, or polenta in Italian terms, of semolina and flour. Then it is chilling, then poached, and baked with a tomato sauce.

That poaching part reminds me of gnocchi.

But there is also a dish called Roman gnocchi, which starts with a semolina porridge like this, but then layers the chilled slices with cheese and butter and bakes it. In effect this dish, but without the poaching step. Corn polenta can also be prepared this way - ie chilled, sliced and baked (or fried).

Italians (especially Sicilians) make chickpea panelle. Again a porridge, this time with chickpea flour, that is chilled, and then fried. I just made this, but using a mix chickpea and semolina.

This recipe, without the poaching step, would certainly work with a corn polenta. I'm less sure about how the polenta would behave in the poaching step. Would it stay together? Would it swell and float? How about making the polenta, and testing the poaching step with a few squares? If that doesn't work, skip the poaching step with the rest.

[krissywats]

Good ideas, thanks for the thoughts!!!