I must confess that me and polenta we don't have too much in common. Or at least it's what I thought so for a couple of good years. We rarely eat polenta at home, as my mother always kept telling that 'we are not that poor' - as in the Eastern European countryside it used to be a replacement for bread. As for me, I was able to go beyond this stereotype, but was faced instead with my inability to create a good looking polenta. You know, this type of round compact mass of polenta that I jealously spotted on cookbooks. But, this time, something happened...
As usual when I am out of inspiration and feel not too skilful, Joy of Kosher is my reservoir of resources. This was my guarantee that I can have high chances to do produce some successful baked polenta fries.
I mixed in a bowl the following ingredients:
- 4 cups of water - the recipe says that milk can be good too
- 1/4 cup of olive oil
- 1 1/2 cup of polenta
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of za'atar
- 100 gr. grated cheese/parmesan
I stirred permanently for almost 30 minutes, at a 150C.
The result was awesome: the best looking polenta ever. Couldn't stop taking pictures of it, but since then, I avoided to try a new one afraid of being disappointed. I also tasted a little piece and was pleased with the taste combination as well.
I left it to rest for a little bit - around 20 minutes - and sliced it into smaller parts. Baked on all sides in a pan with olive oil at 250C for another 15-20 minutes. Compared to the original recipe, I did not want to bake it too deeply, as I was told not to use too much oil. However, the result was tasty, fit for salads and some fish meals.
I did not cut it too finely, so I made around 20 sticks, some of them disappearing before being arranged for the photo opportunity.
Bon Appétit!
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