Polenta is an Italian staple. When soft (or wet), it’s perfect with a comforting bowl of ragu or slow cooked meat. But once it cools and hardens, you can make these moreish ‘chips’ that make a great appetiser.
These are baked, so they’re way better for you than regular chips, and tastier too! Great just as they are, or if you like, provide a bowl of warmed basic tomato sauce (recipe page 112) or Gorgonzola sauce (recipe page 149) for dipping.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken stock
Good pinch of salt
1½ cups quick cook polenta
½ cup grated Parmesan
Olive oil
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely
chopped
Sea salt
METHOD
1 Grease a 25cm x 16cm (10 x 6 inch) (or thereabouts) rectangular oven tray and line with baking paper. Put your polenta into a jug. Put the milk, stock and salt into a medium saucepan and heat until almost boiling.
2 Get your whisk, and pour the polenta into the hot milk/stock mixture in a steady stream while constantly whisking away. This helps prevent any lumps. Keep stirring until polenta is cooked and thickened – about 3 minutes.
3 Remove from heat, stir in the Parmesan and then pour into the prepared baking tray. Refrigerate until set (1–2 hours). You can do this step the day before to make things easier. Preheat oven to 200C (390F).
4 Turn the set polenta out onto a cutting board and cut into chip shapes – go with whatever size you like here. I like them about 10cm x 2cm (4 x . inches), but really this is up to you. Place onto lined baking trays and brush with a little olive oil (or spray with olive oil spray to make things easier).
5 Bake for 25–30 minutes. When they’re ready the edges will look crispy and charred.
6 Sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt. Serve hot.
The Carousel thanks Easy Home Cooking Italian Style by Liliana Battle for this recipe.
