Polenta Fries with Pecorino Mornay and Shallot Agrodolce

This season, on our “deliciously naughty” list, the star is undoubtably Polenta Fries with Pecorino Mornay and Shallot Agrodolce. I like to think of this recipe as an Italian version of Chili Cheese Fries, or better yet-- poutine (a Canadian dish from Quebec with French Fries, fresh cheese curds, and gravy... our version doesn't seem that fattening anymore, does it?!) Which, by the way, I had the most incredible poutine fusion the other night at Gorbal’s. Bahn Mi Poutine! Have you ever heard of such a thing?! It’s the filling of a bahn mi sandwich (pulled pork, pickles, jalapenos, and cilantro) with melted cheese atop fries.

Don’t knock it til’ you try it.

I served this at an exclusive series of supper clubs I did with Thrillist a couple of weeks ago and everyone freaked out over them.

My version is definitely a heavy comfort food, but so hard to resist. Just make sure you invite over plenty of people to help you eat it or else you might wake up to find agrodolce sauce all over your face and pillow...

Polenta Fries

yield: 45 fries

Ingredients:

4 cups whole milk

1 cup water

2 1/4 cups polenta

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

All purpose flour for dredging

2 quarts frying oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Lightly oil 13 x 9-inch metal baking pan. Bring milk and water to boil in heavy large saucepan. Gradually whisk in polenta. Reduce heat to low and cook until polenta is very thick and starts to pull away from sides of pan, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in basil and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Immediately transfer polenta to prepared baking pan, spreading evenly to cover. Refrigerate until cool and firm, about 1 hour. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)

Invert polenta onto a cutting board. Cut polenta lengthwise into three 3-inch-wide rectangles. Cut each rectangle crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips, or whichever width will match the height of the polenta so that it is more or less a perfect rectangular prism. Set polenta strips aside.

Preheat oven to 200°F. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat and insert a candy thermometer to measure temperature. 350 degrees is the ideal frying temperature. Place flour in shallow dish. Lightly coat polenta strips with flour; shake off excess. Working in batches, fry polenta strips until golden brown on all sides, adding more oil if necessary, about 5 minutes. Using a spider (link to where to buy a spider), transfer fries to paper towels and drain. Place fries on baking sheet and keep warm in oven while cooking remaining batches.

Mornay Sauce

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. butter

2 oz. flour

4 cups whole milk

1 bay leaf

pinch of fresh grated nutmeg

8 oz. pecorino cheese, grated

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Make a roux with the butter and flour by melting the butter and cooking the flour in the butter for a few minutes on medium heat. Slowly whisk in the milk and add bay leaf and nutmeg. When sauce reaches a thick consistency, remove from heat and add 6 oz of pecorino cheese. Stir through and set aside. Sauce can be made one day ahead.

Shallot Agro Dolce:

Agro dolce literally means sweet and sour in Italian. It’s a nice balance to the saltiness of the cheese and the rich nutiness of the polenta fries.

Ingredients:

4 shallots, thinly sliced in rings

4 oz. balsamic vinegar

3 oz. sugar

Method:

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredient and cook on low until sauce has thickened and shallots are cooked all the way through.

To serve family style, pour mornay sauce on a platter and spread out a bit with a spatula or wooden spoon. Plate fries on top of sauce. Sprinkle remaining two ounces of pecorino cheese on top of fries and garnish with shallot agro dolce. Serve warm!

Pair with a lovely glass of wine of red wine and some Bing Crosby for an indulgent night to get you in the holiday spirit! Stayed tuned for later this week when we have a holiday indulgence that is on the nice list!