Balkan Crispy Polenta Cheese Fries with Ajvar Yogurt 🌽✨

Description

Balkan Crispy Polenta Cheese Fries with Ajvar Yogurt are golden baked cornmeal sticks made with creamy polenta, white brined cheese, butter, herbs, and paprika, then served with a smoky ajvar yogurt dip. They are crisp at the edges, soft and cheesy inside, easy to share, and perfect for a Balkan meze table, party platter, or warm appetizer with drinks and bread.
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Golden polenta fries, salty cheese, paprika, herbs, and smoky ajvar yogurt turn simple cornmeal into a crispy Balkan appetizer made for dipping. 🌽

Ingredients

• Polenta cheese base 🌽
• ‌
• 🌽 180 g fine cornmeal or instant polenta (1 cup / 6.3 oz)
• 💧 720 ml water (3 cups / 24 fl oz)
• 🥛 180 ml milk (¾ cup / 6 fl oz)
• 🧀 220 g white brined cheese, crumbled (1½ cups / 7.8 oz)
• 🧈 35 g butter (2½ tbsp / 1.2 oz)
• 🌿 15 g fresh parsley, finely chopped (½ cup loose / 0.5 oz)
• 🌿 8 g fresh dill, finely chopped (¼ cup loose / 0.28 oz)
• 🌶️ 4 g sweet paprika (1½ tsp / 0.14 oz)
• 🧂 5 g fine sea salt (¾ tsp / 0.18 oz)
• ⚫ 2 g black pepper (1 tsp / 0.07 oz)
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• For baking ✨
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• 🫒 45 ml olive oil (3 tbsp / 1.5 fl oz)
• 🌽 25 g fine cornmeal, for dusting (3 tbsp / 0.9 oz)
• 🌶️ 2 g sweet paprika (¾ tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🧂 2 g fine sea salt (⅓ tsp / 0.07 oz)
• ‌
• Ajvar yogurt dip 🫑
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• 🥛 220 g thick plain yogurt (1 cup / 7.8 oz)
• 🫑 80 g ajvar (⅓ cup / 2.8 oz)
• 🧄 1 garlic clove, finely grated (1 clove / 0.18 oz)
• 🍋 10 ml lemon juice (2 tsp / 0.35 fl oz)
• 🫒 10 ml olive oil (2 tsp / 0.35 fl oz)
• 🌿 5 g fresh parsley, chopped (2 tbsp / 0.18 oz)
• 🧂 1 g fine sea salt (⅛ tsp / 0.04 oz)
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• To serve 🍋
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• 🫑 Extra ajvar
• 🥛 Extra yogurt dip
• 🌿 Fresh parsley
• 🍋 Lemon wedges

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Cook the polenta 🌽
2. ‌
3. Bring water, milk, and salt to a gentle boil in a heavy saucepan. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 6 min, stirring constantly, until thick and creamy.
4. ‌
5. 2️⃣ Add cheese and herbs 🧀
6. ‌
7. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in butter, crumbled white brined cheese, parsley, dill, sweet paprika, and black pepper until the mixture is creamy, thick, and evenly seasoned.
8. ‌
9. 3️⃣ Shape and chill ❄️
10. ‌
11. Line a 22 × 18 cm dish (9 × 7 in) with parchment paper. Spread the hot polenta into an even layer about 2 cm (¾ in) thick. Smooth the top, cool for 15 min, then chill for 45 min until firm.
12. ‌
13. 4️⃣ Cut into fries 🔪
14. ‌
15. Lift the firm polenta from the dish and cut it into thick fries. Keep the pieces even so they bake at the same speed and crisp around the edges.
16. ‌
17. 5️⃣ Coat for crispness ✨
18. ‌
19. Mix cornmeal, sweet paprika, and salt in a shallow plate. Brush the polenta fries lightly with olive oil, then dust them with the cornmeal mixture on all sides.
20. ‌
21. 6️⃣ Bake until golden 🔥
22. ‌
23. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Arrange the fries on a parchment-lined baking tray with space between them. Bake for 28 min, turning once halfway through, until golden, crisp at the edges, and firm enough to lift.
24. ‌
25. 7️⃣ Mix the ajvar yogurt 🫑
26. ‌
27. While the fries bake, mix yogurt, ajvar, grated garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, and salt until smooth and smoky. Keep chilled until serving.
28. ‌
29. 8️⃣ Rest briefly 🛋
30. ‌
31. Let the baked polenta fries rest on the tray for 5 min. This helps the outside firm up and makes them easier to pick up without breaking.
32. ‌
33. 9️⃣ Serve warm 🍋
34. ‌
35. Arrange the fries on a dark platter, sprinkle with parsley, and serve warm with ajvar yogurt, lemon wedges, and extra ajvar for dipping.

Total Time

⏱ Prep: 18 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 34 min
🛋 Rest: 65 min
⏰ Total: 117 min

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