Recipes Sides Vegetarian

Parmesan Polenta Fries with Bloody Mary dip

polenta-fries-polentafriet-TLT-2

When the Dutch delicious. magazine asked me to share a Bloody Mary recipe, I immediately said yes. To me, a Bloody Mary means weekend brunch. The meal that is hugely popular in cities like New York and Copenhagen, but (luckily!) also gets more common here in Amsterdam.

Therefore I like to drink my Bloody Mary with typical brunch dishes, like fluffy pancakes, bannock breads or toast with avocado and a poached egg. I make my cocktail itself pretty traditional: with tomato juice and vodka (2½:1), lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt and pepper. I also like to add some chipotle pepper for a subtle smokey taste.

But there are way more options than the traditional Bloody Mary. Once I ate the most crunchy French fries, sprinkled with cheese and served with a wonderful tomato and Worcestershire dip. With that idea in mind I made a real Bloody Mary dip, with tomato sauce, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and a bit of vodka.

The result is a lovely spicy tomato dip with a kick. Even more delicious with these crispy Parmesan polenta fries.

polenta-fries-polentafriet-Bloody-Mary-TLT

Serves 4 (as a side dish)

INGREDIENTS

1 ¼ cup (200 grams) polenta
4 cups (1 litre) vegetable stock
½ cup (50 grams) Parmesan cheese, grated
olive oil

for the Bloody Mary dip:
½ cup (120 ml) tomato passata
juice of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons vodka
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco (use more or less to taste)
optional: celery salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare the polenta according to package instructions, but use stock instead of water. Mix in ¾ of the Parmesan cheese and mix well.

2. Pour the creamy polenta in a baking dish lined with baking paper. Leave to cool for at least 4 hours or overnight in the fridge.

3. Meanwhile, make the Bloody Mary dip. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Taste and add vodka or other ingredients to taste. Season with (celery)salt and pepper. Store the dip in the fridge.

4. Turn the firm polenta carefully on your work surface. Cut the polenta into thick fries of about 0.5 inch (1,5 cm).

5. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Place the polenta fries in a baking dish covered with baking paper. Drizzle with olive oil and roast them for 40-45 minutes. Turning them once.

6. Sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan over the fries during the last 5 minutes of baking. The fries are done when they’re crispy and the cheese has melted.

7. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and serve with the Bloody Mary dip.

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