Scalyucci: Napoleon-style polenta chips with a spicy anchovy sauce

Homemade version of golden polenta fingers, just like in "Hole in the Wall" in Naples, the result - a crispy, delicious and satisfying snack

Yogev Yaros

25/05/2022

Wednesday, May 25, 2022, 8 p.m.

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Crispy and golden polenta fingers like on the streets of southern Italy (Photo: Alon Mesika)

Scagliozi, the golden and crispy polenta fingers, can usually be found wrapped in paper on the streets of Naples and in friggitorie shops - small shops, located in alleys or near markets and specializing in fried street food.

The same "holes in the wall" that are used as small shops are usually culinary and historical gems where you can enjoy souffle (risotto balls), small crispy fish, Sicilian chickpea pancakes called panelle and as mentioned in Naples, you can also find our scallops, polenta chips .

Like most Italian street food and especially that of the provinces of southern Italy, polenta chips were born out of the basic need to utilize leftovers to the fullest, in the hope that no crumbs, stalk or bone would be wasted.

Therefore, after you finish eating polenta and in the pot, there are a few more last 'scratches' left, keep everything and the next day put in hot oil and the result - a crispy, tasty and satisfying snack.

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Can be fried, but the baked version is good in itself.

Polenta chips (Photo: Alon Mesika)

Here I offer a baked and not fried home version, but if you want, feel free to just let lightly fry in deep oil and then lay on absorbent paper and grate over Parmesan while warm and crispy.

To me, the baked version is no less good than the fried one, especially when the Parmesan cheese melts around the edges of the chips and produces a delicate and crispy “lace”.

The anchovy sauce is a slightly different and surprising addition that brings out the vibrant aromas of the sea and the port of Naples.

Polenta Chips (Scalyots)

Recipe By: Yogev Yaros, Walla!

Food

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• 30 minutes work

• Two and a half hours total

• Medium difficulty

• 4 diners

• Italian

• vegetarian

• milky

• Extras

• kosher

Polenta chips in the oven by Yogev Yaros

Ingredients

• For the scallops (Polenta chips):

  • ½ Polenta flour in a fine grinder

  • 1 buckwheat

  • 1 cup of milk

  • 2 tablespoons butter (30 g), cut into medium cubes

  • 70 g finely grated parmesan (30 g for polenta + 40 g for coating)

  • Salt

  • Ground black pepper

• For anchovy sauce:

  • 2 jars of anchovies in oil, filtered and chopped (180 g)

  • 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

  • 3 shallots finely chopped

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped

  • 1 red chili pepper, finely chopped

  • Olive oil to cover

• For the conversion table, click here>

Preparation

How do you make polenta (scalli) chips?

• 1

  Start preparing the anchovy sauce:

  After finely chopping all the ingredients, mix everything together in a clean jar, cover with olive oil and keep refrigerated (it is recommended to prepare the day before and keep in the refrigerator for up to half an hour before serving).

• 2

  Prepare the polenta:

  Heat the water and milk in a wide, heavy saucepan, until boiling point.

• 3 Stir in the polenta flour and continue cooking on low heat, stirring with a whisk.

  When it starts to thicken, continue mixing with a wooden spoon, until the polenta is very thick and falls into large, sticky lumps from the wooden spoon (about 15 minutes).

• 4 Add in 30 grams of the parmesan, mix well and remove from the heat.

  Stir in the cold butter cubes quickly.

  Salt well and pepper.

• 5 Pour the polenta on a pan lined with baking paper greased with a little olive oil and flatten with a greased ladle to a uniform thickness of about 1.5 cm. Cover immediately with cling film and refrigerate for about two hours.

• 6

  Form the scallops (polenta fingers):

  Remove the plastic wrap and carefully turn over on a large cutting board, cut into 4-5 cm long "fingers".

• 7 Arrange the polenta chips on a baking sheet lined with baking paper greased with a little olive oil and grate over a little more Parmesan (40 grams remaining) thinly and evenly over the entire pan.

• 8 Place in the center of an oven preheated to 250 degrees, until nicely golden, about 12 minutes.

• 9 Serve immediately with spicy anchovy sauce.

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Tags

• recipe

• Polenta

• Fries

• Weeks