American
Fresh Herb Polenta with Parsnip Chips and Maple Butter
- Prep time 15 minutes
- Cook time 25 minutes
- Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side
Author Notes
Smooth polenta refined with a bunch of fresh herbs creates a beautifully fluffy bed for crunchy parsnip chips. Drizzling sticky maple butter over the composition creates an unusual yet comforting meal, perfect for one of those cozy nights when dinner shifts from the table to the sofa.
From "365: A Year of Everyday Cooking & Baking" © 2019 by Meike Peters. Photography © 2019 by Meike Peters. Published by Prestel. —Meike Peters | eat in my kitchen
What You'll Need
Ingredients
- Polenta chips
-
1 cup
(240 ml) whole milk
-
1 cup
(240 ml) water, plus more as needed
-
1 teaspoon
fine sea salt
-
2 tablespoons
olive oil
-
3/4 cup
(120 g) fine polenta
- Parsnip chips, maple butter, and topping
-
3 cups
sunflower oil, plus more as needed
-
7 ounces
(200 g) peeled parsnips, very thinly sliced on a mandoline
-
1 pinch
fine sea salt, plus more to taste
-
2 tablespoons
(30 g) unsalted butter
-
1/2 tablespoon
maple syrup (up to 1 tablespoon as needed)
-
1 teaspoon
finely chopped fresh rosemary (up to 2 teaspoons as needed)
-
1 teaspoon
finely chopped fresh thyme leaves (up to 2 teaspoons as needed)
-
1 pinch
finely ground black pepper, plus more as needed
Directions
- For the polenta, bring the milk, water, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Take the pan off the heat, add the olive oil and polenta, and whisk until combined. Place the saucepan over the lowest heat setting and cook the polenta like a risotto, stirring occasionally and adding a little more water whenever the polenta starts to thicken, for 10 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Cover and set aside.
- For the parsnip chips, cover the bottom of a large, heavy sauté pan generously with sunflower oil and place over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, in batches, arrange the parsnip slices, side by side, in the pan and fry for a few seconds per side or until golden and crispy. Lower the heat if they brown too quickly. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season to taste with salt. Repeat with the remaining parsnip, adding more oil if necessary.
- For the maple butter, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. When the butter starts sizzling, add ½ tablespoon of the maple syrup and whisk until smooth. Season to taste with additional maple syrup.
- Divide the polenta among the bowls and drizzle with the maple butter. Arrange the parsnip chips on top, sprinkle with a little rosemary and thyme, and season to taste with pepper. Serve immediately.
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