Fried polenta

In a large saucepan, combine the whole milk, chicken stock and butter. Bring to the boil over a high heat. Once boiling, start to whisk in the polenta gradually.

Once all the polenta has been added, turn the heat down to low and continue cooking, stirring continuously until the polenta pulls from the edge of the pan. Have patience, this process can take up to 1 hour.

Once the polenta is ready, mix in the grated Parmesan cheese and the chopped fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the polenta evenly over a baking sheet and place into the fridge to cool. Leave for approximately 1 hour.

Once fully cool, remove the polenta from the fridge and transfer to a chopping board. Cut the polenta into rectangular sticks, aiming for 3 inches x 1.5 inches in size.

Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pan. Once hot, fry the polenta sticks in batches until crispy. This will take around 3 minutes on each side. When golden and crispy, remove with tongs and place on paper towels to drain.

Serve whilst hot and sprinkle any leftover parmesan or salt over the sticks before handing around to guests.

Tips & tricks

For the tastiest fried polenta recipe, you have to take the time to make sure the polenta is cooked perfectly before refrigerating. There are also a few ways you can cook the polenta chips, outside of the frying method we’ve shared above. Some chefs will opt to deep fry their polenta, and others will bake theirs for a healthier approach. You can also purchase polenta tubes if you prefer to skip the step of making your polenta at home, but the flavor of homemade polenta is hard to truly replicate with store-bought options. Polenta is a great base for many tasty Italian-inspired dishes and if you want to explore other ways to serve this powerhouse of a grain, have a read of our top picks for ways to kick up your polenta.

How to serve it

We love fried polenta as a humbly served appetizer with a dash of salt and a sprinkling of parsley for guests to enjoy as finger food. Traditionally, fried polenta would often be made in Italy using leftovers from the main dish, so you’d likely find it accompanying stews or ragùs as a small bite. If you’re someone who likes cheese with their cheese, then grating an extra helping of parmesan on top of the fried polenta whilst piping hot, creates an even tastier, indulgent cheesy snack.

Storage

For any leftovers (though we expect there to be few) you can store fried polenta in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. It’s possible to reheat the fried polenta sticks in the oven to make them crispy again.