Polenta Fries with Pistachio Pesto by @simonauscher

40 min

4 servings

🌽

250 g

Polenta

💧

1 L

Water

🧂

1.5 g

Salt

🌿

2 sprigs

Thyme

🌿

1

Bay leaf

🍋

2 g

Lemon zest

🧀

140 g

Parmesan

🫒

80 g

Olives

🌿

15 g

Parsley

🥜

30 g

Pistachio

🧄

1 clove

Garlic

🫒

170 ml

Olive oil

⚫

0.5 g

Black pepper

  1. Boil
    • water
    • salt
    • thyme

    Bring the water, salt, thyme, and bay leaf to a boil in a large saucepan.

  2. Step
    • thyme
    • Water

    Remove the thyme and bay leaf from the boiling water.

  3. Whisk
    • polenta

    Pour in the polenta in a thin stream while whisking continuously.

  4. Cook
    • polenta

    Cook the polenta for 5 minutes, whisking until thick and smooth.

  5. Stir
    • lemon zest
    • Parmesan cheese
    • Polenta

    Stir the lemon zest and 80 g of Parmesan cheese into the cooked polenta.

  6. Spread
    • polenta

    Spread the hot polenta evenly onto a baking tray lined with plastic wrap.

  7. Wrap
    • polenta

    Cover the polenta with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, for 30 to 60 minutes.

  8. Blend
    • olives
    • parsley
    • Parmesan

    Blend the olives, olive brine, parsley, pistachios, garlic, 30 g of Parmesan cheese, and olive oil into a pesto.

  9. Add
    • olive brine
    • pesto

    Add a little more olive brine if needed to loosen the pesto and season it.

  10. Cut
    • polenta

    Cut the chilled polenta into sticks measuring about 2 cm by 2 cm by 6 cm.

  11. Arrange
    • polenta
    • olive oil

    Arrange the polenta sticks on a baking tray and brush them with olive oil.

  12. Cover
    • Parmesan cheese
    • black pepper

    Cover the sticks with the remaining grated Parmesan cheese and black pepper.

  13. Grill
    • polenta

    Grill the polenta sticks, positioned away from the heating element, for about 15 minutes.

  14. Serve
    • polenta
    • pesto
    • Olives

    Serve the crisp golden polenta fries with the olive pistachio pesto.

Polenta Fries with Pistachio Pesto by @simonauscher

40 min

4 servings

🌽

250 g

Polenta

💧

1 L

Water

🧂

1.5 g

Salt

🌿

2 sprigs

Thyme

🌿

1

Bay leaf

🍋

2 g

Lemon zest

🧀

140 g

Parmesan

🫒

80 g

Olives

🌿

15 g

Parsley

🥜

30 g

Pistachio

🧄

1 clove

Garlic

🫒

170 ml

Olive oil

⚫

0.5 g

Black pepper

Preparation Steps

  1. Step 1/14

    Bring the water, salt, thyme, and bay leaf to a boil in a large saucepan.

    💧water
    🧂salt
    🌿thyme
    🌿bay leaf
    🍲large saucepan

  2. Step 2/14

    Remove the thyme and bay leaf from the boiling water.

    🌿thyme
    🌿bay leaf
    🍲large saucepan

  3. Step 3/14

    Pour in the polenta in a thin stream while whisking continuously.

    🌽polenta
    🍲large saucepan
    🥄whisk

  4. Step 4/14

    Cook the polenta for 5 minutes, whisking until thick and smooth.

    🌽polenta
    🍲large saucepan
    🥄whisk

  5. Step 5/14

    Stir the lemon zest and 80 g of Parmesan cheese into the cooked polenta.

    🍋lemon zest
    🧀Parmesan cheese
    🍲large saucepan
    🧀fine grater

  6. Step 6/14

    Spread the hot polenta evenly onto a baking tray lined with plastic wrap.

    🌽polenta
    🍳baking tray
    🧻plastic wrap

  7. Step 7/14

    Cover the polenta with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, for 30 to 60 minutes.

    🌽polenta
    🍳baking tray
    🧻plastic wrap

  8. Step 8/14

    Blend the olives, olive brine, parsley, pistachios, garlic, 30 g of Parmesan cheese, and olive oil into a pesto.

    🫒olives
    🫒olive brine
    🌿parsley
    🥜pistachios
    🧄garlic
    🧀Parmesan cheese
    🫒olive oil

  9. Step 9/14

    Add a little more olive brine if needed to loosen the pesto and season it.

    🫒olive brine
    🌿pesto

  10. Step 10/14

    Cut the chilled polenta into sticks measuring about 2 cm by 2 cm by 6 cm.

    🌽polenta
    🔪chef's knife
    🪵cutting board

  11. Step 11/14

    Arrange the polenta sticks on a baking tray and brush them with olive oil.

    🌽polenta
    🫒olive oil
    🍳baking tray
    🖌️pastry brush

  12. Step 12/14

    Cover the sticks with the remaining grated Parmesan cheese and black pepper.

    🧀Parmesan cheese
    ⚫black pepper
    🍳baking tray
    🧀fine grater

  13. Step 13/14

    Grill the polenta sticks, positioned away from the heating element, for about 15 minutes.

    🌽polenta
    🍳baking tray

  14. Step 14/14

    Serve the crisp golden polenta fries with the olive pistachio pesto.

    🌽polenta
    🌿pesto

Composition

Ingredients

Types

Grains, Liquids, Seasonings, Herbs, Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts, Oils

Ingredients

Polenta, Water, Salt, Thyme, Bay leaf, Lemon zest, Parmesan, Olives, Parsley, Pistachio, Garlic, Olive oil, Black pepper

Notes

Parmesan (for the polenta, grated, to coat the sticks before grilling), Olives (plus a little brine), Olive oil (for the pesto, to brush the polenta sticks before grilling), Black pepper (a turn of the mill)

Allergens

Tree nuts

Dietetics

Dietary regimen

Vegetarian, Gluten-free

Calories

470 kcal

Macro nutrients

Protein: 12g, Carbohydrates: 45g, Fat: 28g, Fiber: 5g, Sugars: 2g

Nutritional Information

Minerals

Calcium: 310mg, Sodium: 780mg, Potassium: 260mg, Iron: 2.1mg

Vitamins

Vitamin C: 7mg, Vitamin A: 95µg, Vitamin E: 2.4mg, Vitamin K: 80µg

Preparation

Time Information

Preparation

20 minutes

Cooking

20 minutes

Overall

40 minutes

Difficulty

Level

Medium (2/4)

Steps

14 steps

Equipments

Utensils

large saucepan, whisk, baking tray, plastic wrap, chef's knife, cutting board, pastry brush, fine grater

Appliances

Blender, Refrigerator

Type

Type

Type Of Dish

Side Dish, Snack, Appetizer

Occasions

Aperitif, Party, Casual dinner, Game night

Origin

Source

Platform

instagram

Original Creator

@simonauscher

Origin

Cuisine

Italian, Mediterranean

Geographic

Italy, Europe

Various

Aspect

Texture

Crunchy, Crispy, Creamy, Firm, Smooth

Flavors

Savory, Salty, Cheesy, Herbal, Nutty, Tangy, Briny, Garlicky, Citrusy

Other

Price

Low

Recommended Preservation

fridge

Preservation Infos

room temperature : 120 min (Keep covered,Do not leave out longer because the pesto contains cheese), fridge : 3 days (Store fries and pesto separately,Use airtight containers,Reheat fries under the oven grill to restore crispness), freezer : 60 days (Freeze cooked and cooled polenta fries in a single layer before transferring to an airtight container,Do not freeze the pesto for best texture)