Looking for french fry alternatives? Look no further! Polenta Fries are just as crispy and addictive as its potatoey cousin and with one $2 bag of cornmeal you can make hundreds of fries!
We've all seen the big bags of cornmeal in the grocery store, but what do you do with it?! Well there's quite a bit of cost effective and creative ways to use this product! Crispy, cheesy and absolutely delicious polenta fries could be my favorite. Why put cheese on fries when you can put it right in the fry!
Ingredients:
Polenta Fries:
- 3 cups of water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cup cornmeal
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- vegetable oil for shallow frying
Spicy Mayo Dip:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
Polenta Fries:
- Lightly grease a loaf pan. Set aside.
- Bring the water and salt to a boil. While whisking, add the cornmeal. Reduce heat to medium low and cook polenta, stirring constantly for 20 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the butter and Parmesan cheese.
- Pour the polenta in prepared loaf bread pan. Cool completely.
- Remove the polenta from the loaf pan. Cut polenta into French fry sticks.
- In a large nonstick skillet, add oil to come up 1-inch of the sides of the pan. Heat oil over medium heat. Fry polenta fries in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan or they'll stick together. Cook until light golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towel to remove excess oil. Serve hot with Spicy Mayo Dip.
Spicy Mayo Dip:
- In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, cayenne, smoked paprika and chives. Season the dip with salt and pepper.
