Gold Bars in the Safe

Ingredients

• 200 g instant polenta
• 600 ml vegetable stock
• 40 g grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 ripe avocados
• 1 lime
• 2 tbsp crème fraîche
• 1 red chili pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Bring the vegetable stock to a boil and add the polenta while stirring.
2. Cook the polenta on low heat until thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and a pinch of salt.
3. Pour the polenta into a baking tray (1.5 cm thick), smooth out and let cool completely to set (at least 1 hour).
4. Cut the set polenta into rectangular sticks about 8x2 cm.
5. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and fry the polenta sticks until golden and crispy on all sides.
6. Make the dip: mash the avocados with the juice of 1 lime, crème fraîche, salt and pepper.
7. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small pan, briefly fry the finely chopped red chili and garlic. Add paprika, remove from heat.
8. Drizzle the spicy oil through the avocado dip and swirl lightly so a 'sting' remains visible.
9. Stack the polenta sticks on each plate like gold bars in a safe. Serve the avocado dip on the side.

Serving notes

• Arrange the polenta sticks tightly in a rectangle on the plate, like a stack of gold.
• Keep the chili oil as a visible red streak in the dip for the 'sting inside' effect.