Parmesan Polenta Chips

📝 Ingredients

• 150 g instant polenta (quick-cook)
• 1 vegetable stock cube + 600 ml water
• 50 g grated Parmesan (40 g for the polenta, 10 g to finish)
• 1 tsp herbes de Provence
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp olive oil (1 tsp for the dish, 5 tsp for the chips)
• 4 tbsp ketchup (to serve)
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Saucepan
• Whisk
• Rectangular dish (about 20 × 25 cm)
• Baking sheet + parchment paper
• Pastry brush
• Large knife

📖 Steps

1. Grease the rectangular dish with 1 tsp olive oil. In the saucepan, bring the 600 ml water to the boil with the crumbled stock cube, stirring to dissolve it completely.
2. Reduce to a medium heat and pour in the polenta in a steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Keep stirring for the time shown on the packet (often 3 to 5 min), until very thick and coming away from the sides. Watch out for scalding splashes.
3. Off the heat, stir in 40 g Parmesan, the herbes de Provence, the garlic powder and some pepper. Taste and only add salt if needed: the stock and Parmesan are already salty.
4. Immediately pour into the greased dish and spread into an even 1.5 cm layer with a wet spatula. Leave to cool slightly for 10 min, then refrigerate for at least 40 min, until cold and firm: if still warm, it would break when cut.
5. Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Turn the polenta out onto a board and cut into sticks 1.5 cm wide and 8 cm long with the lightly oiled large knife, wiping the blade if it sticks.
6. Line the baking tray with baking paper and arrange the chips on it at least 1 cm apart: too close together, they steam and won't crisp up. Brush them on all sides with the remaining olive oil.
7. Bake for 25 to 30 min, turning them carefully halfway through with a spatula, until golden brown and crispy along the edges.
8. Immediately sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and a grind of pepper, then leave to rest on the tray for 2 min: the chips firm up as they cool slightly. Serve hot with the ketchup for dipping.