Today’s recipe for an appetizer or snack: rosemary polenta sticks.
Fun polenta sticks perfect for snacking, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and rosemary scented. They are also a great way to use up leftover polenta.
Ideal to serve as an appetizer with a tomato sauce, a broccoli stem cream, cauliflower mayonnaise, or even a mortadella mousse would be great. Prepared to enrich a buffet or an aperitif, they would be gone in no time, I’m sure.
Easy to prepare and quick if we use instant polenta as I did, it will be ready in no time to be put in the oven to brown and create that wonderful crust.
My kids went crazy for them and enjoyed a healthy and tasty snack, and I confess I struggled to photograph them because I was eating them while arranging them!
Let’s see together, step by step, how to make this recipe.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 15 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for the polenta sticks
- 3 cups water
- 6.35 oz instant polenta
- to taste salt
- to taste olive oil
- 1 sprig rosemary
Tools
- 1 Measuring Cup
- 1 Scale
- 1 Casserole
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
Let’s Get Started!
In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil and add salt; when it boils, sprinkle in the cornmeal while stirring with a whisk to prevent lumps. Let it cook, stirring occasionally, for the time indicated on the package (mine required 8 minutes).
When the polenta is ready, pour it onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper and compact it into a rectangular or square shape about 0.5 to 0.75 inches thick. Let it cool for 15 to 20 minutes.
Take the polenta slab and place it on a cutting board. Cut into sticks about finger-width apart, then place them back on the tray, sprinkle with rosemary needles, and drizzle with olive oil.
Bake in a preheated oven at 390°F for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
A Curly Girl Recommends
You can prepare them in advance and then put them in the oven when needed. If you don’t like rosemary, you can replace it with other herbs or spices.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What are the quantities for making polenta if I’m not using instant?
To make polenta with non-instant cornmeal, use 4 cups of water for every 8.82 oz of cornmeal.
