Fossilized Cakes - Polenta Patties

Dear Family & Friends,

Polenta Patties or little cakes are so versatile and easy to make. It looks so pretty too when you attach basil leaf on top as decor. My little girl thinks this is a fossilized cake!

Here's how:
To Make The Polenta:

1 cup coarse cornmeal/polenta
2 1⁄2 cup milk, preferably whole (or use water)
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, chives or any herbs to want to flavour it with
1 tablespoon minced garlic, or more to taste
salt and pepper
Some fresh whole basil leaves for decoration

Put the cornmeal and a large pinch of salt in a medium saucepan; slowly whisk in 21⁄2 cups water/milk to make a lump-free slurry. Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring almost to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and bubble gently, stirring frequently for about 10 to 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary and plenty of black pepper plus the chopped herbs. Cool down a bit.

Proceed To Make the Polenta Patties:

Take a handful of polenta, and compact it into a ball. Flatten it a little, then shape the sides. Press a leaf of basil on one side.

Heat a bit of oil in frying pan. Place the little cakes in - leaf side down first. The leaf will be loose but will stick to the cake onced cooked. Fry till crispy and slightly brown on the out side. Do the same on the other side and remove from the pan.

All done. Enjoy it with any stew on the side plus salad in season. Or you can have it for snack or have it at breakfast with eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes on the side:)

The fossilized cakes are ... were delicious:)

Yours