Polenta fries

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

polenta or cornmeal They're used interchangeably. Yet polenta is a dish, and cornmeal is an ingredient — often the main ingredient in that dish. Hailing from northern Italy, polenta was originally a meal of any grain, coarsely ground and slow-cooked in liquid until softened.

Ingredients

1 cup quick-cook polenta (190g)
3 ⅓ cups chicken or vegetable stock (800ml)
4 tbsp butter (60g)
½ cup freshly grated parmesan (30g)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary finely chopped
2 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp salt
Pinch of pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

Preparation

Add the stock to a medium sized pot and bring to a boil.
Once boiling turn the heat down to a simmer and slowly add the polenta whilst stirring until all the polenta is fully incorporated.
Next, add the butter, parmesan, herbs and salt and stir until the butter has melted and the polenta has thickened slightly (2-3 minutes).
Pour the cooked polenta into a lined baking dish (10x8 inch) and spread it out evenly. Let the polenta cool completely then chill in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for 1-2 hours or overnight.
Pre-heat the oven to 430F/220C.
Once chilled and completely set, remove the polenta from the tray and cut into fries.
Place the fries on a baking tray and brush with olive oil. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Serve as a side or appetizer.