It’s the most wonderful time of the year! You may think that I’m referring to Christmas, but then you’d be wrong. It’s Halloween, of course! JT and I traditionally have a pumpkin carving contest, and this year is no different. We scour the net for unusual pumpkin patterns and when we find one we get down to the dirty job of carving. Carving is made easier with the right tools, but then again isn’t everything? I bought a set of pumpkin carving tools at an end of season sale last year and wish I had bought two sets! So in light of the grand tradition, I’m going to ask you to vote on your favourite pumpkin! May the best pumpkin win!
We were craving a unique hors d’œuvres so I remade a traditional polenta recipe into a delightful orange snack: polenta “fries”! The orange is strictly from the sharp cheddar. And the best part is that you can easily freeze these babies for those lovely drop-ins during the holiday season.
Cheddar Polenta “Fries”
Ingredients:
- 1 cup fine cornmeal
- 2 cups stock (vegetable, beef or chicken)
- 150 g grated old cheddar cheese
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- Pinch of chili flakes
- 2 tbsp finely chopped chives
Directions:
- Bring stock to a boil and add the smoked paprika and chili flakes.
- Slowly add the cornmeal, whisking quickly as you add it.
- Add the grated cheese and mix well.
- Turn heat right down to low and cook for 10-15 minutes until it no longer feels as hard grain.
- Turn into a parchment lined square Pan about 22 cm x 22 cm or 9″ x 9″ and press down evenly and firmly. Allow to cool.
- Cut into 1cm or 1/2″ wide “fries” about 5 cm or 3″ long. Fry each side until golden in a light oil.
- Serve warm with marinara sauce or salsa.
Other serving suggestions:
- Serve with soup instead of crackers.
- Cut into small rounds and serve instead of rice or potatoes with a gravies meat.
- Cut into small rounds and serve as ‘crackers’ topping with a cold cut or a pickle round!
[…] around for something to make with polenta. I loved the crackers because I’ve already made Polenta Fries, Polenta Crisps, and Polenta Choux Pastry. Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipe includes a beautiful […]
LikeLike
[…] Using an emersion blender, blend until smooth adding water or stock to desired consistency, salt and pepper to taste. Press through a fine sieve. Serve hot with Cheddar Polenta ‘Fries’ […]
LikeLike
Now these little fries would be very dangerous around me.. I’d have to keep myself from eating the entire batch on my own! What a great idea!! Love your front entryway, Eva! Not too scary but very dramatic!!
LikeLike
Thank you kindly Barbara. I’ll be doing our Christmas planters soon.
LikeLike
Or drop-ins anytime of year. 😉 Love the outdoor decor for Halloween Eva! So festive. The kids would have loved coming by your house. I’m too late to vote, and I think I’m okay with that. It would have been too close to call for me. Both were marvelous.
LikeLike
Thank you so much Kristy.
LikeLike
Eva, do you mean you have carved these pumpkins on your own???? I am amazed! The polenta sticks look lovely. I am usually not a fan of soft polenta (let’s be frank: I hate it!) but when it’s hard and fried, it is a completely different thing!
LikeLike
Oh my, thank you for your lovely compliment. I don’t care for soft polenta either, it reminds me if baby food. These ‘fries’ crisp up beautifully and pair very well with a salsa or tomato sauce.
LikeLike
I’m sure you had a great Halloween with your carved pumpkins and your crispy polenta sticks…they look great.
LikeLike
Thanks Karen, it was quite fun. It looks like you’re having a lovely time abroad too.
LikeLike
I haven’t made polenta fries for yonks but it’s what I want RIGHT NOW. 🙂 Since nobody but Not Quite NIgella does Halloween in a big way in Australia I haven’t done much partying or carving in a long time.
LikeLike
That’s interesting, I didn’t know Halloween wasn’t a thing down under. JT adores these fries, I’m pretty sure Rob would too.
LikeLike
Hi Maureen, I just assumed Halloween was big over there, do kids even go trick or treating? I love decorating the outside of the house but I think I may have scared the wee ones away this time as we had less than 30! We ended up pouring candy into the last few kids’ bags so we didn’t have leftovers. The polenta fries are wonderful in a variety of uses, I hope you try them.
LikeLike
Happy Halloween Eva and JT!!! 😀 It’s the happiest time of the year for me too! 😀 And I love the look of these polenta fries and your fabulously decorated pumpkins!
LikeLike
Thanks so much Lorraine. I carved two more the day off and had a great time. Next year I think I’ll do a dozen, if I have time!
LikeLike
What a great way to decorate your front yard! Both pumpkins are winners, Eva. You and JT are so crafty! I have no such skills, whatsoever. Should I try to carve one, I imagine 1 so-so pumpkin on my porch, and about a dozen rejects stuffed in the trash out back. These polenta sticks sound really good, Eva, and they be perfect for game day. I like, too, that they can be frozen. It’s a very effective portion control otherwise, like potato chips, I’d keep munching and be surprised when the platter was clean.
I hope you both had a wonderful Halloween!
LikeLike
Thanks so much John, they are totally a lovely appetizer for sure. Our pumpkins have gotten better and better every year. I just wish I remembered the tricks from year to year!
LikeLike
I keep forgetting to tell you that I have been adding the smoke paprika you gifted me over the summer to many dishes (I am using it like ground black pepper, is that the proper way?), adds a very unique flavor and a little goes a long way. Thanks for introducing me to this delightful spice.
I voted for Witchy pumpkin but both are winners.
LikeLike
Hi Norma, thank you, I’m very pleased that you are enjoying the Hungarian Paprika! Yes, it’s used like pepper in that you don’t toast it like you would Indian spices as it burns very easily and becomes rather bitter. I like sprinkling the hot version over many foods like Chicken Cacciatore or even pizza! Witchy pumpkin was mine! 😉
LikeLike
What a great idea with the polenta, Eva! Thank you… and happy Halloween to you.
LikeLike
Thanks Lizzy, I’m itching to try it with a saucy dish and instead of fries I will cut out discs!
LikeLike
I should try making these again, the recipe I had used parmesan but maybe cheddar would be better – more cheesy and tangy
LikeLike
I hope it works out Claire, the cheddar was definitely more of a binder than the parmesan was (I made parmesan crackers some time ago). https://kitcheninspirations.wordpress.com/2012/10/04/barcelona-inspired-polenta-cheese-crisps/
LikeLike
Eva you really get into your pumpkin. 🙂 I voted for the witchy pumpkin, because its execution is flawless. Your “fries” are seasonably excellent and your front steps are inviting. Now I hope you give out good treats to the munchkins. Happy Halloween!
LikeLike
Thank you so much Zsuzsa, that was my pumpkin! And I carved a couple more yesterday before the kids arrived! I guess I have too much time on my hands after all!
The polenta fries are quite lovely, I’m very pleased with the recipe.
LikeLike
I let Rowan vote for best pumpkin and when he saw the “scary” one, he screamed “that one! I love the scary one!” It was definitely a winner. Your house looks great! I’m sure even the wee little ones will find it pretty exciting to walk between those two scary guys and up to your front door. Congratulations on the great pumpkin carvings and Happy Halloween!
LikeLike
Thank you so much Michela, I’ll let JT know his pumpkin did get a vote :-)!! We hardly had an ToTers last night, maybe 30 at the most. We had some scary music playing on the porch and I wonder if the wee ones were too scared to come up.
LikeLike
Impressive pumpkins, Eva. Happy Hallowe’en!
LikeLike
Ooooh, love, love love these fries! Pinning these to make for sure. And your pumpkins look great! I’ve always just used kitchen knives to carve mine. Am too lazy to get a carving set. Happy Halloween, Eva! :-O
LikeLike
Hi Betsy, thank you for your compliment for the polenta fries. I made another two pumpkins yesterday and for those I actually used an exact-knife with a long blade AND some chisels! It worked out perfectly.
LikeLike
Those fries look absolutely amazing. I can’t believe how perfectly straight they are too.
LikeLike
Thank you David, I have a plastic kitchen ruler that I use for this type of exercise. I just couldn’t get them perfectly straight any other way!
LikeLike
Those polenta fries look fantastic!
LikeLike
Thank you kindly Angie.
LikeLike
Oh you’ve sold me with these!
LikeLike
Thanks so much Fati.
LikeLike
The polenta fries look really good. And the entrance to your house looks so lovely (although I know it’s meant to be scary). You and JT are very good at pumpkin carving. That’s not a tradition we have here in Oz – we don’t even have those types of pumpkins! xx
LikeLike
Hi Charlie, I just love finding out about traditions in different countries. I’m not surprised about the pumpkins, I don’t even know where that tradition originated from, perhaps I shall research it for next year!
Thank you for the compliment for the polenta and our home; we even played some scary music last night and I think some of the little ones didn’t come up because of it, we hardly had about 30 kids.
LikeLike
I’d like to have more than one of those tasty looking golden polenta fries.
As to the pumpkin carving contest … they’re both great but I’m feeling in a particularly witchy mood lately so that’s what I voted for.
Maybe you can pick up another carving set at the end of this Halloween season.
Have a happy Halloween.
LikeLike
I have my eyes open for another carving set. I may even buy two for a give away next year! Thank you for choosing my pumpkin! I had such fun carving it. The fries are very tasty indeed.
LikeLike