Poached salmon w/ polenta & cilantro pesto - house beauti
6 servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Garlic cloves, peeled and chopped | |
| ¼ | cup | Pine nuts |
| 1 | small | Bunch cilantro with stems, roughly chopped |
| 1 | Fresh green jalapeno chili, stemmed, seeded & roughly chopped (wear rubber gloves | |
| 6 | cups | Chicken stock or water |
| 1 | small | Onion, minced |
| 1 | Bay leaf | |
| ½ | Red bell pepper, seeded, deveined, and roughly chopped | |
| 1 | Jalapeno or Thai chili (opt), seeded, deveined & roughly chopped (wear | |
| 3 | pounds | Boneless flesh salmon fillet, at room temperature |
| 1 | small | Onion, sliced very thin |
| 2 | To 3 limes, sliced thin | |
| 1 | Red or green fresh jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, & sliced | |
| Lime wedges | ||
| Red or green jalapeno chili when handling hot peppers) | ||
| ½ | cup | Olive Oil |
| 2 | tablespoons | Rice wine vinegar |
| ½ | cup | Grated Asiago cheese, preferably a medium-aged Stella brand |
| Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste rubber gloves when handling hot peppers) | ||
| Salt & freshly ground black pepper | ||
| 1½ | cup | Polenta, preferably Golden Pheasant brand |
| ½ | cup | Sweet butter, room temp. |
| Zest of 1 orange | ||
| ¼ | cup | Finely chopped scallions thin (wear rubber gloves when handling hot peppers) |
| 4 | To 6 sprigs of cilantro | |
| 2 | tablespoons | Olive oil |
| Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste slices, seeded | ||
| Cilantro sprigs | ||
Directions
FOR CILANTRO PESTO
FOR POLENTA
FOR POACHED SALMON
FOR GARNISH
Prepare cilantro pesto: In a small dry skillet over low heat, toast garlic and pine nuts, stirring constantly, until golden. Coot and set aside.
In a blender puree cilantro, chilies, ¼ C olive oil, and vinegar.
Add reserved garlic and pine nuts, cheese, salt, and pepper to the blender. Slowly add remaining olive oil and purse mixture until smooth. Makes about 1¼ C.
Prepare polenta: In a large heavy saucepan, boil chicken stock, onion, bay leaf, red pepper, and opt., chili pepper and season to taste. Gradually add polenta, whisking constantly. Lower heat to simmer and cook, stirring constantly for 5 to 8 minutes, or until mixture thickens. Discard bay leaf Remove pan from heat and gently stir in butter, orange zest, and scallions. Cover pan tightly and keep polenta warm over low heat until ready to serve.
Prepare salmon: In a baking dish lined with aluminum foil, place salmon skin-side down and top with slices of onion, lime, jalapeno, and cilantro sprigs. Drizzle surface with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 300'F oven for 20 minutes or until salmon flesh is firm.
Cool 10 minutes and cut salmon into 6 triangular wedges.
To serve: Divide polenta evenly among 6 dinner plates and top with about 2 T pesto sauce. Place salmon triangles on plates and garnish each plate with lime wedges, jalapeno chili slices, and cilantro.
Serves 6.
House Beautiful/June/94 Scanned & fixed by Di & Gary