Name: Jenga Polenta Sticks Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 2 h 55 min
Yield: 55
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: For the Polenta Sticks:; Nonstick cooking spray; 2½ cups polenta; 9 cups water; 3 tbsp unsalted butter; 1 cup parmesan cheese; 2 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp pepper; 4 cups Vegetable Oil; For the Lemon Herb Yogurt Sauce:; 1 cup plain full-fat yogurt; ½ tbsp fresh dill; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1½ tsp McCormick® Zesty seasoning; 1 tbsp lemon juice; For the Spicy Tomato Sauce:; 1 tsp olive oil; ½ cup red onion; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1 tbsp red wine vinegar; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp garlic powder; ½ tsp dried basil; ¼ tsp red pepper flakes; 1 cup crushed tomatoes; 1 tsp lemon juice

How To Make Jenga Polenta Sticks

These polenta sticks are a fun and crispy twist to the Italian cornmeal dish. They’re fried to golden slabs, then served with lemon yogurt or tomato sauce.

Preparation: 30 minutes

Cooking: 25 minutes

Chill Time: 2 hours

Total: 2 hours 55 minutes

Serves:

Ingredients

For the Polenta Sticks:

nonstick cooking spray,for greasing
2½cupspolenta
9cupswater
3tbspunsalted butter
1cupParmesan cheese,shredded
2tspkosher salt
1tsppepper
4cupsvegetable oil

For the Lemon Herb Yogurt Sauce:

1cupplain full-fat yogurt
½tbspfresh dill,chopped
1tspkosher salt
1tspgarlic powder
1½tspMcCormick® Zesty seasoning
1tbsplemon juice

For the Spicy Tomato Sauce:

1tspolive oil
½cupred onion,diced
1tspkosher salt,plus more to taste
1tbspred wine vinegar
1tspdried oregano
1tspgarlic powder
½tspdried basil
¼tspred pepper flakes
1cupcrushed tomatoes,canned
1tsplemon juice

Instructions

Polenta:

Grease a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
In a large glass bowl, whisk together the polenta and water. Microwave on high power for 20 minutes, whisking halfway. The polenta should be thick and creamy. If not, microwave for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.
Add the butter, Parmesan, salt, and pepper and whisk until well combined.
Transfer the polenta to the prepared baking sheet and spread it in an even layer. Wrap in plastic wrap and let set in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.

Lemon Herb Yogurt Sauce:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, dill, salt, garlic powder, Zesty seasoning, and lemon juice.
Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Spicy Tomato Sauce:

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion and salt.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the onions for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until fragrant.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic powder, basil, and red pepper flakes and stir to coat.
Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to allow the flavors to meld.
Remove the pot from the heat and add the lemon juice and another generous pinch of salt and stir to combine. Cover to keep the sauce warm or let cool to room temperature.

To Fry:

Once set, carefully invert the polenta onto a cutting board. Cut off ¼ inch from each side, creating sharp edges.
Cut crosswise into 5 pieces each measuring 3 inches wide, then cut each piece lengthwise into 1-inch (2 ½ cm) strips. Makes 55 pieces total.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large, wide pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, fry the polenta sticks for 2 to 4 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
Remove from the oil and transfer to the prepared baking sheet to drain and cool for at least 5 minutes.
To serve, form a tower by arranging 3 polenta sticks horizontally, then stacking 3 perpendicular sticks on top.
Repeat with the remaining sticks. Serve with the yogurt and tomato sauces alongside.
Enjoy!