That Green Olive: Polenta chips

Polenta chips with Labneh. Photo / Olivia Moore - That Green Olive

I’ve always had a warm, fuzzy spot for polenta - it’s incredibly versatile, and I love the subtle taste. In the winter, I love to serve it soft like porridge, and it’s also great instead of breadcrumbs as a coating for baked and fried things (if you saw my recipe for smoked trout cakes last week, you’ll recall it asking for polenta to dust the cakes with before frying).

My favourite way to serve polenta, and one you’ve likely seen and tried many times before, is in the form of chips. To make them, you simply cook the polenta into a thick mixture, set it as a slab, then slice and fry.

I’ve served the polenta chips with another favourite of mine, labneh. This is a Middle Eastern soft cheese made by straining yoghurt to remove the whey; what’s left is silky, smooth and tangy. I’ve drizzled it with olive oil and sprinkled it with rosemary.

Serve these next time you’re entertaining!

Visit Olivia’s website for more recipes: www.thatgreenolive.com.

Parmesan polenta chips with rosemary labneh

Serves two as a snack or side

LABNEH

● 1 cup Greek yoghurt

● 1 Tbsp olive oil

● 1 sprig rosemary, leaves finely chopped

POLENTA CHIPS

● 15g of butter

● 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

● 500ml chicken stock

● ½ cup polenta

● ½ tsp salt

● 25g grated parmesan

● ½ cup flour or rice flour, for coating

METHOD

1. Start by making the labneh. Set a muslin/cheesecloth-lined sieve over a bowl and put the yoghurt in the centre. Gather up the edges of the cloth and twist to wrap tightly. Secure with a rubber band and allow to strain overnight.
2. To make the polenta, melt butter in a large saucepan over high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently for one minute until the garlic begins to brown. Add stock; the mixture should quickly come to a boil.
3. Begin whisking, and as you whisk, slowly pour in the polenta. Reduce heat to low and add salt. Cook, whisking often, for five minutes until thick. Remove from heat and stir through parmesan.
4. Transfer to a small loaf tin or dish lined with baking paper and smooth the top. Refrigerate for four hours or overnight; you can set it overnight along with the labneh.
5. When set, remove from tin and slice into three-centimetre sticks. Place flour in a bowl and toss with polenta sticks to coat.
6. Heat two centimetres of olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add coated polenta sticks and cook for 15 minutes, turning until golden brown on all sides. You may need to cook them in two batches.
7. Meanwhile, unwrap the labneh and place it on a serving dish. Drizzle over the olive oil, sprinkle with chopped rosemary and season with salt and pepper.
8. Serve the polenta chips hot with rosemary labneh.