Fried Polenta

This is my mother’s favorite dish at Alimentari. She lives in Florida and never comes to New York without having it. We use rustic polenta integrale from Anson Mills, a wonderful company based in South Carolina. Glenn Roberts, the founder, is maniacal about finding heritage corn and rice. This polenta uses a red Trentino flint corn, which was almost extinct in Italy until a few years ago. It gives the polenta a lovely mineral flavor. I’ve always loved the creamy comfort of polenta, but when Justin first served me this version—in which the polenta is rolled in more polenta, then deep-fried into wonderfully crispy squares—it was a revelation. Though I would, and do, eat this year-round, there’s nothing better than a few squares of fried polenta with a roasted chicken on a cold fall or winter night.

Serves 4

3½ cups Anson Mills fine yellow polenta, divided

1⅛ teaspoons fine sea salt, plus additional for finishing

¾ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, divided

Peanut oil, for frying

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Whisk together 6 cups of water, 1½ cups of the polenta, and the salt in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until the polenta becomes slightly starchy, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and cook for another 45 minutes, stirring often, until the polenta is soft. If the polenta cooks too quickly, add ¼ cup of boiling water to thin it out. Whisk in ½ cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

2. Turn the polenta out onto a parchment paper–lined sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap, and let cool, refrigerated, approximately 4 hours or overnight.

3. When completely cool, run an offset spatula along the four sides of the polenta to loosen it from the sheet pan. Cover a work surface in parchment paper. Invert the sheet pan over the parchment paper to turn the polenta out.

4. Cut the polenta into 3-inch by 3-inch squares. Using a paper towel, pat all sides of the squares until dry.

5. Pour the remaining 2 cups raw polenta onto a clean sheet pan and spread out evenly.

6. Meanwhile, heat about 4 inches of the oil over medium heat in a dutch oven to 350°F.

7. Coat the squares in the raw polenta. Working in batches, fry the polenta squares in the oil for 5 minutes, until golden. Remove using a spider or slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel–lined sheet pan. Garnish with the pepper, a pinch of salt, and the remaining ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve immediately.