Roast Garlic & Grana Padano Polenta Chips with Truffle Oil

GRANA PADANO SPONSORED INGREDIENT RECIPE COLLECTION

Alex Mackay, cook, teacher, writer and food lover serves up a healthy new twist on old favourites for those joyous junk food moments.

I've made many versions of polenta chips, but this luxurious cheese filled, garlic and truffle scented beauty is my best ever. Although the polenta is the '1 minute' version, I cook it longer to make sure that it sets firmly enough to cut into chips. The name refers to the shape and size, polenta chips have a texture all of their own. You can deep fry these, but shallow frying, in batches if necessary, is more practical, until the outside is golden and the centre moist with the joy of melting Grana Padano. These are excellent served with truffle pesto.

Serves 4 generously as an accompaniment; Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus at least 2 hours setting; Cooking time: 20-30 minutes; Diffculty: Moderate

method
Ingredients

Method

1. Get the stock ready in a jug to the side of your cooker.
2. Get a medium sized saucepan. Add the chopped garlic and truffle oil with a pinch of salt. Sweat over a low heat, watching carefully for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is soft. Turn up the heat and fry the garlic gently, making sure that it doesn't burn, for 1 minute until the garlic is pale gold, be careful, a little less is better than too much. Take the pan off the heat.
3. Quickly add the stock to the pan so that the garlic doesn't burn.
4. Add the polenta. Stir it in well. Whisk non-stop until there are no lumps at all. Turn on the heat. Bring the polenta to the boil. Stir for 5 minutes over a medium heat. Be careful as it may boil volcanically. Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the Grana Padano. The mixture will be like very thick porridge and it will harden more as it cools. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.