Concorde Cross
Based on:
TypeMain course
Serves4 people
DateSeptember 26, 2026
A neat polenta cross with a crowd of vegetables, paying tribute to the open-air mass.
A solemn plate: a golden cross of crispy baked polenta, standing upright on soft parsnip puree. Around the cross, an orderly crowd of roasted vegetables, honoring the masses at Place de la Concorde.
Ingredients
- 250 g polenta
- 800 ml vegetable stock
- 50 g grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 parsnips
- 2 tbsp crème fraîche
- 400 g carrots (small, halved lengthwise)
- 300 g colored cherry tomatoes
- 2 red onions
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- fresh parsley for garnish
Method
- Bring the vegetable stock to a boil. Gradually add the polenta while stirring and simmer for 10 minutes until thick.
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese and 1 tbsp butter. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spread the polenta in a parchment-lined baking dish (about 2 cm thick). Let cool and set.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Peel the parsnips, cut into pieces, and cook until tender in salted water. Drain, mash with 1 tbsp butter and crème fraîche. Season to taste.
- Halve the carrots lengthwise, halve the tomatoes, and cut the onions into wedges. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.
- Cut the set polenta into long strips (for the cross) and fry in a pan until golden brown on both sides.
- Spread a layer of parsnip puree on each plate. Place the polenta strips in a cross shape, upright or flat.
- Arrange the roasted vegetables as a crowd around the cross. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Serving notes
- Ensure the cross is central and neat on the plate.
- Arrange the vegetables in dense rows around, like an orderly crowd.
- Serve immediately so the polenta stays crisp.