A Must-Have Polenta Recipe for Parents (and Everyone Else)
Polenta Fries, and the Venetian restaurant that inspired this family-favorite
Ciao a Tutti! (Hello Everybody!)
Last month I asked my amazing Instagram community to pick a recipe they’d want to learn from a round-up of meals I made in April. The winner was Polenta Fries, and I’m very excited to share this beloved Italian dish with you (recipe below). First, some background…
Polenta, which originated in Northern Italy (where my peeps are from), is the Italian word for coarse-ground cornmeal made from flint corn. Like most of the best dishes in the history of humankind, polenta was a peasant food that found its way to tables across economic and geographic borders. It was traditionally prepared as a porridge with water, salt, and other available additions like butter, cheese, herbs, and broth.
Sidenote: Cooking coarse-ground polenta requires time and unflagging attention, but you can cheat by using an Instant Pot. I love the toothsome nature of coarse-ground polenta and am lucky to have a local producer, Farmer Ground Flour. (Check to see if you do!) But there are now options that can be ready in minutes: fine-ground polenta, quick-cooking polenta, and pre-cooked polenta logs (see recipe below).
Now, while polenta is divine in a porridge-like consistency, especially with something saucy overtop, like Osso Buco or buttered mushrooms with parsley, it is next-level as an oven-baked food. Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside.
I remember my mom teaching me how to bake polenta at a very young age, but it wasn’t until a trip last October to Venice that these memories came hurtling back. (Here’s a snapshot of the story on Instagram.)
In Venice, my identical twin, Dimity, and I tried to keep up with my mother’s long gait, tracing her favorite paths through the floating city’s iconic alleyways. Before turning a corner and disappearing down yet another fabulous, narrow pedestrian street, she’d turn and say, “Isn’t this special!” “Isn’t this amazing!” Because it was.
At one point she noticed a sign and squealed (or came as close to a squeal as a proper British-Italian woman would do), “This was my grandfather’s favorite restaurant!” She would frequent it with him during summers in Venice with her grandparents.
Sadly, the restaurant was closed, so we settled for the one next door, Antica Ostaria Ruga Rialto.
On the verge of a hangry attack, we did what any sensible woman in Venice would do.
We ordered Campari Spritzers.
Then, we proceeded to food. My mother insisted we try the Polenta con Baccalà Mantecato (creamed codfish). It still stands as one of the best dishes I’ve ever had. I somewhat brazenly asked the server if he would share the recipe, and without batting an eye, he generously did! I furiously scribbled notes.
He then mentioned that he was the owner of the restaurant, as well as the one next door, my great-grandfather’s favorite!
Ahhh, it was one of those magical moments of serendipity, a living link to our heritage.
I could rant on about the rest of the meal, and the trip in its entirety, but I need to get back to the polenta fries because it is a recipe every person - and especially parent - must have in their repertoire.
Below you’ll find the recipe for easy-peasy polenta fries made from a pre-cooked polenta log. (You can also watch me make them here on Instagram.)
If you like it, you also might want to check out the recipe for “Snowy” Polenta with Fungi in my new book, Seasonal Family Almanac (also shown in this Instagram reel). Kids absolutely love the idea of making “cookies” from polenta, and eating them too. You can get really creative depending on your cookie cutter collection!
I would LOVE to see a picture if you give this a try, and a report from your kids - did they love them? You can tag me on Instagram or leave a comment below.
Sending love and effervescent joy as you spring into summer!
Con amore,
Emma
Polenta Fries
Yield: 2-4 servings
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 30 - 40 minutes
Ingredients:
1 pre-cooked polenta log
Olive oil
Salt
Parmesan, optional
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Position an oven rack on the middle rung, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Slice the log into 1/2 inch rounds, and then slice the rounds into 1/2 inch fries.
Transfer the sliced polenta to the lined baking sheet and drizzle generously with olive oil. Season with salt over top. Toss with your hands until all the polenta is coated with olive oil.
Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until crispy.
Remove and allow to cool briefly. (Baked polenta retains a lot of heat in the middle, so be careful when serving to children). If desired, grate parmesan over top and transfer to a bowl for serving.