Crispy Polenta Fries, two ways

Crispy Polenta Fries, two ways: pan fried and air fried. If you love French fries, then you are going to love these. So crispy on the surface and creamy inside, with that lovely backdrop of corn and a flavorful dusting of Parmigiano and herbs. A real treat indeed. A wonderful appetizer, side, or even snack. A a win-win in our eyes!

Song of the day: "Capolavoro" Il Volo

Crispy Polenta Fries, two ways

Nicoletta and I love fench fries, however, after trying these polenta fries, we fell in love with their crispiness, creaminess inside, and superb flavor. We even made them, as part of an antipasto board, for a catered event we did before Christmas, and they were completely gone and enjoyed. Nicoletta tackled them in Rome wanting her parents to try, and again no dissapointments, and to impress her mom and dad is a huge compliment in my books! lol.

Thinking of a different way than frying them, I thought let's try the air fryer and see what happens. The frying method in the pan is tried and true, so I didn't cast that one out! So why not try both, like I say live a little, lol. The end result, stupendous. Today we are going to have some fun in the kitchen and I am going to share how I make Crispy Polenta Fries, two ways.

Let's get started!

Ingredients and substitutions

When I tell you that this is a really easy, low ingredient recipe, I am not kidding. Here is your ingredient list:

• Polenta flour. Coarse corn meal works the best.
• Water
• Coarse sea salt to salt the water.
• Butter
• Parmigiano. Aged Asiago or Pecorino Romano works, too.
• Dried oregano. Or dried rosemary, or Herbes de Provence.
• Peanut oil for frying works really well. However, olive oil would work, too.

Making the polenta

There is a general rule for making polenta that I follow. It is 1 part Polenta to 4 parts water. This will give a nice creamy texture to the cornmeal or what us Italians call it, Polenta. Here is how I do it:

1. Bring water that has been salted to a slow boil in a medium cast iron pot (Dutch oven).
2. Slowky sprinkle in the cornmeal flour and at the same time whisk. This will prevent lumping.
3. Once all the cormeal is in, keep stirring with a wooden spoon, until it is nice and creamy and begins to thicken. Turn down heat to the lowest it can go, and let simmer for about 40-45 minutes stirring occasionally and try not to scrape the bottom of the pan. Most of the polenta sold has cooking times and quantities right on the package.
4. Turn off heat. Spoon in butter and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmigiano. Fold the ingredients together with a wooden spoon, again try not to scrape the bottom of the pan. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt at this time.
5. Pour polenta mixture into a 8" x 11" x 2" baking dish, that is brushed with evo oil. Level it with an offset spatula.
6. Place polenta in the fridge for a few hours to firm up. You can even leave it overnight.

Cutting the Polenta fries

You are going to need a nice sharp knife because we are going to cut the polenta into rectangular fries. This is how it is done:

• Divide the polenta by cutting with a good sharp knife 6 equal parts lengthwise.
• Now divide and cut 3 equal parts widthwise. You will now have 18 equal rectangular polenta fries.

Crispy Polenta Fries, air-fryer method

So, usually I would do these in a frying pan, which I am going to show you later. However, I wanted to give you a healthy easy option and that is crisping up these in an air fryer. Here is what you need to do:

1. Firstly, turn the air fryer on, and put it in air fryer mode. Take the basket out and line with parchment paper.
2. Secondly, place the polenta fries onto the parchment paper making sure to leave plenty of space in between, and brush all sides with evo oil.
3. Thirdly, into the air fryer they go for 35 minutes. About half way through the cooking time, turn them over. If they are not gold and crispy enough, leave them in the air fryer a bit longer.

Time to garnish the crispy polenta fries

I like to garnish these polenta fries as soon as they come out of the air fryer. Sprinkle with some dried oregano, and a good dusting of freshly grated Parmigiano. Taste and season with sea salt if needed.

Pan-frying the Crispy Polenta Fries

So I have shown you the air fryer method, now let me show you how I do them in a frying pan:

• Pour the peanut oil into a medium non-stick pan. Turn heat to a medium to high heat.
• When the pan is nice and hot, place the polenta fries in. You may have to do it in two batches because you need room to turn them. Let them fry until the bottom is golden and crispy.
• Turn over and do that for all the sides of the fries. The end result will be an all round golden and crispy polenta fry.
• Take them out of the pan and lay them on a paper towel lined baking sheet. Dust with grated Parmigiano. Taste one and check for seasoning. If it needs salt, sprinkle some sea salt over top

I am really torn, both methods give great results. I guess it is going to come down to taste and texture.

I really want you to be succesful in making these Crispy Polenta fries both ways. Here are some tips that will help you:

Crispy Polenta Fries, two ways, the taste test

I am so excited to dive in, which do I want to try first? I think I am going with the air fried ones. Just picking one up I feel just how crispy they are and that color, just lovely. I love the crunch biting in and the inside hosts a rich creamy polenta. The Parmigiano is a great seasoning that gives the sweet corn a little salty, and the dried oregano is a welcome herb. Absolutely scrumptious. I am loving these.

Now for the pan fried one. The color is a bit deeper, and they are really crispy on the outside. When I bite in, there is this resounding crunch and a more caramelized flavor on the surface. Like the air fryer ones, the inside is creamy and rich.

The verdict is in

I am declaring this a tie, I am loving both and can't decide. You are just going to have to try both ways and decide for yourself. I would love to hear from you and see which one you loved best, or maybe you may not be able to decide either. Let the games begin! lol.

More so, have fun making these, and enjoy them with family and friends. Thanks for joining us in our kitchen. Happy cooking everyone!

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