Polenta Fries
Serves 4
You'll need:
2 C water, vegetable or chicken broth
1 C milk*
1 ½ C polenta, coarse cornmeal
1 T butter or extra-virgin olive oil
¼ C Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1 T fresh herb (oregano, parsley, basil and thyme work nicely), finely chopped
(and more for garnish, optional)
½ t - 1 t sea salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
For the aioli:
5 roasted garlic cloves (or 1 raw clove, minced)
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 t dijon mustard
¼ cup organic grapeseed oil
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt & white pepper to taste
To make:
1. In a saucepan, bring water/broth and milk to just short of a rolling boil. Then in a steady stream pour the polenta in using a whisk to stir and prevent the polenta from clumping. Reduce heat to medium-low, continue stirring and cook for about 10 more minutes until the polenta is soft.
2. Remove from heat and add butter or olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and herbs and stir to incorporate.
3. Pour polenta out into a parchment-lined glass baking dish. With a spatula smooth out the top and edges until you have a thickness of about 1 ½ - 2 inches. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
In the meantime, work on the aioli:
1. Place the roasted garlic (or raw), egg yolk, lemon juice, and mustard in a blender and blend. Keep the blender on low and slowly drizzle in first the grapeseed oil and then the olive oil. Going slowly ensures a steady and thick emulsification. Season with sea salt and white pepper to taste and keep in the refrigerator until it’s time to dip!
Back to the polenta!
4. Preheat oven to 200℃/400℉ and brush some olive oil on a baking sheet.
5. Slice polenta into strips (to whatever size you like), and place them on baking sheet. Drizzle a bit more olive oil on top of the fries.
6. Bake for about 15 minutes or until you see them starting to get crispy. They’ll start to get browned around the edges. Flip the fries ever so carefully and continue baking for another 15 minutes or so.
7. Optional: You could sprinkle some fresh herbs over the fries before you serve.
8. Serve with aioli and ENJOY!
