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Golden fried polenta triangles stacked on a wooden board with flaky salt and lemon wedges

Scagliozzi Napoletani: Crisp Fried Polenta Triangles

Cook fine polenta with pecorino, chill it for 90 minutes, cut it into 32 triangles, and fry in 175 C / 350 F oil until golden. Serves 4.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 46 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 31 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Appetizer / Snack
Cuisine: Italian (Neapolitan)
Calories: 334
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Polenta
  • 150 g fine-ground yellow polenta not instant
  • 750 ml water
  • 1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt (7 g)
  • 40 g pecorino romano finely grated
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 tbsp olive oil for greasing the dish
For frying and serving
  • 600 ml sunflower oil about 1.5 cm deep in the skillet
  • 1 tsp flaky sea salt to finish
  • 1 lemon cut into wedges

Method
 

Cook and set the polenta
  1. Brush a 20 cm / 8-inch square baking dish with the olive oil. Grate the pecorino and set it beside the stove.
  2. Bring the water and salt to a boil in a 3-quart / 2.8 L heavy saucepan. Pour in the polenta in a thin stream while whisking, then lower the heat until the surface barely bubbles.
  3. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon every 2 to 3 minutes, until the polenta is thick and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Off the heat, stir in the pecorino and pepper.
  4. Scrape the polenta into the dish and smooth it with a wet spatula into an even layer about 2 cm thick. Leave it to set for 90 minutes total: 15 minutes on the counter, then the rest in the fridge, until completely cold and firm.
Cut and fry
  1. Turn the slab out onto a board and cut it into a 4 x 4 grid of 5 cm squares, then cut each square diagonally into 2 triangles for 32 in total. Press one corner with your finger first. If the center feels tacky or the piece bends, don't fry yet. Return the slab to the fridge for 20 more minutes. Pat the triangles dry with paper towels.
  2. Heat the oven to 120 C / 250 F and set a wire rack over a 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch sheet pan. Pour the sunflower oil into a 26 cm / 10-inch cast-iron skillet and heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes until a thermometer reads 175 C / 350 F.
  3. Fry the triangles in 3 batches of about 11, leaving space between them. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning once with a fish spatula, until deep golden and crisp. Move each batch to the rack, sprinkle with flaky salt, and keep it in the oven while the next batch fries. Let the oil return to 175 C / 350 F between batches.
  4. Serve within 15 minutes of frying, with lemon wedges.

Notes

  • Use fine-ground polenta, not instant, to match the 25-minute cook time.
  • Chill the polenta for 90 minutes so the triangles hold their shape in the oil.
  • Fry in 3 batches of about 11 triangles to keep the oil at 175 C / 350 F.
  • Drain fried batches on a wire rack, not paper towels, so the bottoms stay crisp.