This Easter, let's break with tradition. Ditch your good old potatoes and make these super crunchy Oven-Baked Polenta Chips and serve them alongside the tastiest and quickest Aioli dip ever.
This Easter is going to be a weird one. It is my first Easter in the UK, without family or friends. But it is also the first ever Easter I spend in a lockdown (and, hopefully, the last). It has the potential for being a bit of a sad one. For this reason, my boyfriend and I have decided to go all out and cook a whole leg of lamb (which will make for some amazing leftovers during the following week) and mashed potatoes, have two big Easter eggs and a whole lot of Prosecco. It will be a bittersweet Easter, that’s for sure, but we are still going to try and make the most of what we have got.
One thing I am considering, is serving these amazing Oven Baked Polenta Chips as an appetizer. After all, this Easter is nothing but unusual, so we might as well fully bend the rules and make this as a starter. Polenta Chips are a great savoury snack and they will keep us satisfied whilst we wait for the main event (aka our lamb)! I am serving them with a very quick, (and cheeky) aioli dip which just elevates the whole thing and is super addictive.
I have been making polenta chips on repeat, after having to get rid of some polenta flour I had in the kitchen for ages. Thing is, it’s way too warm here to have good old traditional polenta. So I immediately thought about polenta chips. My nan is a master at making them, like many other things. She does it the proper way though, no quick polenta nonsense. Her polenta cooks for HOURS (she even has an electric “polenta stirrer”, that’s her level of commitment). Then she cools it down, transfers it to a baking dish overnight and then fries them in plenty of vegetable oil. Delicious, but so laborious and time consuming.
The good news is that my version is still as delicious (if I may say so myself) but is way quicker, easier and healthier too. Basically, I won the polenta jackpot. I cook my polenta according to package instruction, and it’s done in about 5 minutes. Then I cool the polenta down and leave it in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours. You can absolutely make it today and leave it to cool overnight, so that tomorrow morning you can make them first thing before starting on your main. But even making them the day before and warm them up in the oven on the day works fine. So many options, I know!
After chilling in the fridge, I cut them into big, chunky matchsticks, coat them in olive oil and then in a polenta and herbs mix which is just the dream. I pop them in the oven for half an hour and we are done! That’s it. Not as quick as a salad, sure. But can you even compare it to my nan’s way of doing it? Exactly.
I love having any sort of chips or fries alongside some sort of dip. And polenta chips are no exception. My Italian family would probably have an heart attack, if they saw me dipping polenta chips in a sauce. They religiously eat them plain, with just an extra sprinkle of salt. But for once, I think that THEY are the ones who are missing out. Polenta chips are great. But a dip just makes them outstanding.
Of course, you can use your favourite dip or whatever is most convenient (especially not that the supermarkets are still experiencing shortages, you might not be able to go all fancy). But if you do happen to have the ingredients for my super easy aioli, please give it a try. If you are not familiar with aioli, you really need to make it as soon as possible. It is the French take on mayo, but infinitely better. It’s packed with flavours, using fresh garlic, a generous squeeze of lemon juice and some parsley. It feels light and refreshing and, after trying it, you will want to put it on everything. It just goes with any savoury dish you might think of. Salmon burgers? Check. Greek-flavoured skinny fries? Check. Polenta Chips? Check twice. You see? It’s just brilliant.
I really recommend you set some time aside this weekend, and give these Baked-Polenta Chips a go. If this is not going to be the highlight of your Easter meal, you need to invite me for dinner because your cooking must be insane.
Ingredients:
Makes 20-22 chips
100 gr polenta flour
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp onion powder (optional)
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp salt
For the Cheat’s Aioli:
2 heaped tbsp mayo (use vegan mayo if needed)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried parsley
Method:
Cook the polenta according to package instructions – I cooked 100 gr polenta with 400 ml boiling water (and a dash of salt) for 4 minutes, until fully absorbed. Whatever you do, you need to stir it constantly until the water is fully absorbed and you obtain a thick consistency.
I used a 8x8 inch square tin. Spread the polenta so that you get a more or less homogeneous slab, about 1 ½ cm thick. Please note that the polenta didn’t fill the whole tin but left quite a gap on the side, so if you have something smaller, use that.
Leave the polenta to harden and cool down. After half an hour or so, it should be at room temperature. Transfer it to the fridge and leave it there for at least 2 hours.
When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven at 210°C. Take the polenta out of the fridge and cut in into chunky matchsticks (mine were about 2 cm wide).
To a bowl, add 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. To another bowl, add 5 tbsp of polenta flour, the garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, salt and black pepper and mix until combined. With a brush, coat each polenta chip with some olive oil, and then dip them into the polenta and thyme mix, until fully coated. Transfer them to a baking tin with baking paper.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping them after 20.
In the meantime, make your dip: combine the mayo, lemon juice, garlic powder and parsley together and tset it aside until ready to serve.
These oven baked chips can be stored for up to 4 days.
Enjoy!
Did you try this recipe? Have you got any questions? We would love to hear from you! Let us know by leaving a comment below! Xx
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