I need not even speak about how good these Polenta chips are! But I will! I think they taste equally as devine as they look. I am HUGE polenta fan! Coming from an Italian family, polenta replaced the ‘mashed potato’ sitting under our slow cooked, saucy meals. However, it wasn’t until later in life that I tasted it fried, as a chip!!! Holey Moley! I cannot ever turn down a polenta chip. I am totally hooked! On its own or dipped in a marinara sauce, It doesnt matter!
The thing is, not only do they taste great but they are so versatile. Great as a side to any meal, or an appetizer at a dinner party. The added bonus is that they are also gluten-free, as polenta is essentially cornmeal. Before you ask, ‘is it necessary to add the butter and cheese’, I will shout, YES! You are buillding flavours here! It is necessary to enjoy every mouthful of these beauties at their utmost best!
Below, I have showed you how I prepared my cooked polenta to set in a baking tray. Don’t forget, polenta swells quite a lot once it’s in water so pour it slowly into the water and stop just before your desired consistency is reached, as it will set thicker. I used 250g of polenta to fill this 1cm deep, 34cm x 27cm baking tray. It made more than enough to feed my family of five, with left overs.
A little naughty secret of mine is to not set the cooked polenta chips onto a paper towl to absorb the oil after cooking. I have found that the paper towl softens the crunch as the heat and the oil combine. Instead, I lay them ontop of a wire baking rack and place the paper towels underneath to catch the drips. I do this when I make schnitzel too! I know what you’re thinking…..’oh its so fatty’….I say…. ‘ Trust me! You will never look back! ‘:) I know for certain that these polenta chips are far prefered in my family to potato chips, plus, they are equally as simple to make and most definitly more delicious! I would love to hear your thoughts.
Please Enjoy! xxx
- One packet of quick cook polenta – amount is your choice. I used 250g to fill my baking tray.
- Salted boiling water
- A large knob of butter
- 30g parmesan cheese – grated
- Small bunch of oregano or sage
- Vegetable oil – to fry
- Salt & pepper
- In a pot, cook the polenta as per packet instructions. Quick polenta should take about 5 minutes to cook in boiling water. Once you have added the polenta, make sure you turn the heat down to a low/medium heat and stir the pot continuously. It is cooked when the mixture is thickened and the water is absorbed. It should still easy to stir.
- Stir in the grated parmesan cheese and knob of butter till combined.
- Remove from the stove and pour the mixture into a baking tray of choice.
- Smooth the polenta so it is all one level and leave it to cool on the bench for about an hour, then pop it in the fridge to set for another hour.
- Once set, remove the tray from the fridge and flip it carefully onto a chopping board. (It might need a bit of a jiggle to release).
- Use a sharp knife to cut the polenta into chip sizes of your choice. Mine were about 1cm x 3cm in size.
- Pour enough oil into a frying pan so that it reaches 1cm up the side. Heat the oil to a medium/high heat and cook the polenta chips in batches.
- Keep moving them around as they tend to want to come together and stick.
- Turn them until each side is golden brown.
- Remove them from the oil and place on a wired baking rack so the excess oil drips off. Place some paper kitchen towel underneath to catch the oil.
- Repeat the frying process until all the chips are cooked.
- Add a few leaves of your chosen herb into the hot oil to fry. Remove when crispy.
- Season the chips with salt, pepper and the crunchy herbs. Eat the chips while they are hot!
