Polenta and chicken tartlets are a no bake Christmas appetizer: set polenta cut into scalloped rounds, topped with pesto chicken and dried cranberries. Nothing goes anywhere near the oven. Twenty four bites from one tray, served at room temperature.
Spread the polenta about half an inch thick and let it go completely cold before you cut. Warm polenta tears instead of holding a clean scalloped edge, and thirty minutes is the minimum.
The cooking liquid is missing from the ingredient list entirely. A pound of instant polenta needs close to two quarts of water or stock. The cup of cream on the card is stirred in at the end, not used to cook it.
Polenta and Chicken Tartlets
Course: AppetizerCuisine: American, ItalianDifficulty: Easy4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalInstant polenta enriched with cream, poured out to set, then stamped into scalloped rounds. Each one carries shredded rotisserie chicken folded through pesto and a scatter of dried cranberries.
Ingredients
- For the Tartlets:
1 pound instant polenta (about 2 1/2 cups)
Water or stock, as the polenta package directs (about 2 quarts)
1 cup cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- For the Topping:
2 cups shredded store-bought roasted chicken
1/2 cup store-bought pesto
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Directions
- Cook the polenta: Cook the instant polenta according to the package instructions. Just before it finishes thickening, stir in the cream, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Set it: Pour the polenta onto a greased rimmed baking sheet, spread it about half an inch thick and leave it to cool and firm up, about 30 minutes.
- Mix the topping: Combine the shredded chicken, pesto, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl and stir together.
- Cut the bases: Using a 2-inch scalloped cookie cutter, cut the set polenta into about 24 rounds and lay them out on a serving platter.
- Assemble: Spoon a little of the chicken onto each round and scatter a few dried cranberries over the top. Serve.
FAQs
Do I really need a whole pound of polenta?
No, and this is where the recipe overshoots. A pound sets into roughly eight cups, enough to cover a half sheet pan. Twenty four two inch rounds use about a third of that, so half a pound is plenty.
Can I use a tube of ready made polenta instead?
Yes, and it saves you the cooking and the thirty minute set entirely. Slice the tube into rounds about half an inch thick and stamp them with the cutter. You lose the cream, so brush the slices with a little olive oil.
What do I do with the leftover polenta?
Cut the scraps into fingers and fry them in a little oil until crisp on both sides. They keep three days in the fridge and reheat in a hot pan. Salted and served warm they disappear faster than the tartlets do.
Can I make them ahead?
Set the polenta and mix the chicken a day early, keeping both covered in the fridge. Cut and assemble within an hour of serving, because the pesto oil soaks into the polenta and softens the base. Another appetizer that waits better is this christmas cheese ball wreath.
What else goes on the appetizer table?
Something hot, since these are served cool and the tray reads as cold food. A baked bite covers that and the two go out together. These tuscan mushrooms work as the warm half of the spread.
