Polenta chips with salsa verde
- Portion size: Serves 6
- Hands-on time 40 min, plus cooling and chilling
- Difficulty: easy
Crunchy on the outside but soft and creamy in the middle (just like any good chip should be), these polenta fries are served with a tangy salsa verde and mayonnaise for dipping.
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Ingredients
- 1 tsp salt
- 125g instant polenta, plus extra to dust
- 30g unsalted butter
- 30g parmesan (or vegetarian equivalent), finely grated
- Sunflower or vegetable oil to deep-fry
- Mayonnaise to serve (optional)
For the salsa verde
- 10g mint leaves, roughly chopped
- 10g parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp capers, drained
- 2 pitted green olives, chopped
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp caster sugar
- 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Specialist kit
- 20cm square tin
- Probe thermometer
Method
- Line the tin with baking paper. Bring 500ml water to the boil in a pan over a medium heat, add the salt and stir in the polenta. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 4-5 minutes until thickened and the polenta comes away from the sides of the pan.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, cheese and some black pepper. Pour the polenta into the lined tin, spread flat and set aside until cooled, then chill.
- Turn the polenta out onto a board and cut into 24 rectangular chunky chips. Sprinkle some uncooked polenta into a shallow bowl, then dip the chips into the grains to coat them all over. Put them on a tray and keep in the fridge until needed (see Make Ahead).
- Meanwhile, make the salsa. Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and whizz until finely chopped (or whizz in a bowl using a stick blender). Season with salt and pepper.
- When ready to cook, heat enough oil to come no more than a third of the way up the sides of a saucepan and heat until it reaches 180°C. Working in batches, deep-fry the polenta chips for 3 minutes until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper, then serve with the salsa verde and, if you like, some mayonnaise.
Nutrition
- 247kcals Calories
- 18g (5.4g saturated) Fat
- 3.4g Protein
- 16g (0.7g sugars) Carbs
- 1.1g Fibre
- 1g Salt
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