Crispy Polenta Sticks with Smoked Cheese and Olives

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the cheese and olives

   Coarsely grate the smoked cheese. Chop the olives into small pieces so the sticks hold together when sliced.

   
2. 2

   Cook the polenta

   Bring the water and salt to a boil in a saucepan. While stirring constantly, slowly pour in the polenta in a thin stream. Cook according to the package instructions, usually 3–5 minutes, until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan.

   
3. 3

   Season and spread

   Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir the cheese, olives, 5 g of the olive oil, oregano, lemon zest, lemon juice, and black pepper into the hot polenta. Immediately spread the mixture onto baking paper in a rectangle about 1.5 cm thick.

   
4. 4

   Let it set and cut

   Let the polenta steam off for 5 minutes, then refrigerate it for 20 minutes to set. Cut it into 8 sticks.

   
5. 5

   Pan-fry until crisp

   Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and brush it with the remaining 8 g of olive oil. Pan-fry the sticks in two batches for about 3 minutes on each side, until they have a golden crust. Let them cool for at least 5 minutes before wrapping.