How to Make Crispy Cheesy Polenta Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cup polenta
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 50 g grated cheese
- 2 tbsp oil from a jar of sun dried tomatoes
- 400 ml boiling chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 large egg
Ingredients for the sun dried tomato aioli
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup oil from a jar of sun dried tomatoes
- 30 g sun ried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
Preparation
- Add 1 cup of the polenta, smoked paprika and salt to the bowl of your Optimum Bon Appetit stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix for 45 seconds on speed 2.
- Add cheese and sundried tomato oil, and mix on speed 2 until combined. Reduce speed to 1. While mixing, pour in boiling stock, followed by the egg. Mix on speed 3 for 5 minutes, until the polenta has cooked and the mixture is thick.
- Transfer the mixture to a small baking paper-lined loaf tin and smooth the top. Wrap and chill for 6 hours or overnight.
- Meanwhile, make the aioli. Add egg yolks to the clean bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on speed 6 for 45 seconds to combine. While mixing, very slowly add sundried tomato oil, starting with just a few drops first to emulsify, then increasing to a thin stream. It should take 2-3 minutes to add all of the oil; once oil has been added, and the mixture should be thick and creamy.
- Remove bowl from stand mixer and fold through sundried tomatoes, garlic and salt. Refrigerate while you cook the polenta.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
- Remove the set polenta from its tin and slice it into 16 even portions. Roll each into a ball using lightly oiled hands.
- Pour the remaining 1 cup of polenta into a bowl. Roll each polenta ball in the dry polenta to coat. Arrange on your prepared baking tray and lightly drizzle with oil.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until puffed, lightly browned and the tops have cracked.
- Serve hot, dipped into the sundried tomato aioli.
