polenta fries

I've got a few pantry staples that take up room that I really only use for one or two recipes.  Cornmeal is one of them.  I thought I'd try something new and make fries with them.  I cut mine like steak fries because I like them thick, and I thought they would hold together better if they were thicker.  They turned out pretty yummy.  They obviously don't taste like fries, but they were good (looked a bit like fish sticks), and Liam thought he was pretty cool helping me.

Just like real fries, they go perfectly with ketchup, or just plain.

The rule is 4 cups of liquid and 1 1/2 cups corn meal.  If you're desperate you can use all water, but you'd have to add quite a lot of seasonings to keep the fries from being rather bland.

For liquids I used 2 cups of chicken broth, then a cup each of milk and water.

Add your liquids and corn meal with the salt and stir until the mixture thickens.

Pour the thickened corn meal onto a lipped pan covered in foil and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Try to smooth out the top with the spoon for nicer looking fries.

Take out the cooled pan and cut fries.  Thick ones hold together better, but feel free to make thinner ones .

Spread the fries out on a lipped sheet lined with parchment paper.  Mine look a bit ugly because I manhandled them quite a bit.

Liam helped me drizzle olive oil over the fries, then I seasoned them.

He thought the olive oil and seasonings should be blended in, so he rubbed it all in.

Your fries should look golden and delicious.

Enjoy by themselves, or with ketchup.

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polenta fries

by Liesl July-3-2014

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups corn meal
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp oregano

Instructions

1. Add broth, milk, and water into a large pot with corn meal and salt. Bring to a boil, then let simmer, stirring until thickened. Stir often prevent burning or sticking.2. Pour the polenta into a lipped pan lined with foil. Smooth out the top, then place in the fridge for half an hour.3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Cut the polenta into fries and lay them close together on a parchment lined lipped pan. Drizzle olive oil over top and season. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip and bake for an additional 20. Your fries are done when they are golden and smell wonderful. Eat warm alone or with ketchup.

Details

Prep time: 45 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 1 hour 25 mins Yield: 4 servings