Delicious when dusted with a smoked herb salt or dipped in a garlic aioli, these baked polenta fries are a wonderfully crisp side.
Originally these ricotta and polenta fries were going to be, well, fried. In fact I started to do so, but I was creating a bit of a mess. Plus the polenta chips were soaking up far more oil than my brain and hips felt comfortable with.
A light bulb moment occurred as I was scraping, prodding and trying to flip a chip that was falling apart and looking pretty inedible. Why aren’t I baking these babies instead of frying them?
There is far less mess in the oven. No hot oil to deal with and associated cleaning up. You know, those splatters that cover not only you but the stove and half the kitchen.
The result, wonderfully crunchy polenta fries. The time spent chilling the polenta mixture in the fridge, ensures the fries hold their shape while baking, resulting in a beautiful golden hue and a satisfying crunch.
I served them on this occasion with a simple to make smoked sage salt. But they could just as well be served with a dip of garlic aioli.
How to Make Baked Polenta Fries
1. Prepare the Polenta Mixture
- Line the pan: Line a rectangular brownie tin with plastic wrap.
- Boil the stock: In a large saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil.
- Cook the polenta: Add the polenta to the boiling stock and reduce the heat to a simmer. Continuously stir the mixture until the polenta is cooked through, and all the stock has been absorbed.
- Add remaining ingredients: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the grated parmesan, ricotta, butter, and chopped rosemary.
- Set the polenta: Leave the mixture to cool slightly and then transfer it to the prepared tin. Smooth out the mixture evenly. Place plastic wrap over the top of the polenta mixture and smooth well with your hands. Place the tin in the refrigerator for a few hours until chilled and set. For best results, leave it in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Prepare the Polenta Fries
- Preheat the oven: When you are ready to cook the fries, preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C).
- Cut the polenta: Remove the plastic wrap from the top of the polenta and carefully turn it out in one piece onto a chopping board. Remove the rest of the plastic wrap. Cut the polenta into 2 cm square fingers/chips.
3. Bake the Polenta Fries
- Bake the fries: Place the polenta fries on a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes until they are golden and crunchy.
4. Prepare the Smoked Sage Salt
- Combine the ingredients: While the polenta fries are baking, make the smoked sage salt by combining the smoked salt, sea salt, and finely chopped sage in a bowl.
5. Serve
- Serve the fries: When the fries are ready, remove them from the oven and serve immediately with the smoked sage salt sprinkled on top.
Crispy Baked Rosemary Polenta Fries
- Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
Description
Delicious when dusted with a smoked herb salt or dipped in a garlic aioli, these baked polenta fries are a wonderfully crisp side.
Ingredients
For the Polenta Fries
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 1/3 cups polenta
- 1 1/4 cups parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 2/3 cups ricotta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
For the Smoked Sage Salt
- 1 tablespoon smoked salt
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoonsage, finely chopped
Instructions
1. Prepare the Polenta Mixture
- Line the pan: Line a rectangular brownie tin with plastic wrap.
- Boil the stock: In a large saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil.
- Cook the polenta: Add the polenta to the boiling stock and reduce the heat to a simmer. Continuously stir the mixture until the polenta is cooked through, and all the stock has been absorbed.
- Add remaining ingredients: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the grated parmesan, ricotta, butter, and chopped rosemary.
- Set the polenta: Leave the mixture to cool slightly and then transfer it to the prepared tin. Smooth out the mixture evenly. Place plastic wrap over the top of the polenta mixture and smooth well with your hands. Place the tin in the refrigerator for a few hours until chilled and set. For best results, leave it in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Prepare the Polenta Fries
- Preheat the oven: When you are ready to cook the fries, preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C).
- Cut the polenta: Remove the plastic wrap from the top of the polenta and carefully turn it out in one piece onto a chopping board. Remove the rest of the plastic wrap. Cut the polenta into 2 cm square fingers/chips.
3. Bake the Polenta Fries
- Bake the fries: Place the polenta fries on a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes until they are golden and crunchy.
4. Prepare the Smoked Sage Salt
- Combine the ingredients: While the polenta fries are baking, make the smoked sage salt by combining the smoked salt, sea salt, and finely chopped sage in a bowl.
5. Serve
- Serve the fries: When the fries are ready, remove them from the oven and serve immediately with the smoked sage salt sprinkled on top.
Notes
I used rosemary as my herb of choice in these polenta fries. You don’t have to; rosemary could quite easily substituted with thyme, basil, or even sage. But if you do decide to use sage, then hold back on using the smoked sage salt, and serve with aioli or your favorite bbq sauce instead.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Chilling Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Appetizer, Side
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Keywords: polenta, fries, potatoes, french fries, italian, italian inspired, sage, smoked salt, rosemary, ricotta, side dish, italian side
A great change to ordinary fries! Even my kids should ‘buy’ it. Do you think smoked salt is essential for the ‘WOW’ effect? I am afraid I may have problem with buying it here where I live. Do you have any ideas how to replace it?
Hi Kate,
The smoked salt that I used for this recipe was from Maldon, and can be purchased in specialty food stores or delis. Saying that, as fun and tasty as it is, you can get away without using it. I would just substitute with ordinary salt personally, if I didn’t have the smoked salt. Because you are using sage that gives it a lovely wow factor.
Cheers Sara
Thanks for reply! I thought of adding some smoked paprika to maintain that smoky effect, but now I feel also encouraged to make some more effort to have that salt in my kitchen cupboard.