Recipes » Fish » Polenta

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup cornmeal or polenta flour
• 8 tablespoons grated cheese or 4 tbls. and 4 tbsp mascarpone
• ½ cup egg substitute or 3 eggs beaten
• Salt, pepper
• 1 LB fresh shell fish & squid , or try 2 large chicken breasts, diced
• 1 dozen fresh mussels
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• chile pepper flakes to taste
• ½ teaspoon ground fennel seeds (dry roasted first)
• 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 4 teaspoons fresh oregano
• ¼ cup EVOO
• 1 red pepper, roasted,  sliced thin
• corn from 4 ears
• 4 tbsps capers, rinsed and dried
• 2 dozen olives, pitted and sliced
• ½ lime juiced
• 1 can roasted tomatoes ,drained and sliced, or 2 or 3 ripe tomatoes, sliced, squeezed to remove water)
• 1 can anchovy fillets, sliced
• Red onion, sliced thin
• Parsley or Cilantro

Preparation

bake the polenta:

Boil 2 cups water, while whisking the 2 remaining cups with the cornmeal. Add to the boil, stirring all the while. When it re-boils, reduce; cook 20 min. uncovered, stirring.

Add ½ the cheese (or all of the mascarpone)  and the eggs. Mix it well. Pour into an oiled 9 by 14 dish. Let cool.

Toss the seafood (or chicken) with the garlic, chili pepper flakes, thyme, fennel, oregano, fish, corn, red peppers, olives, lime juice, ½ the capers, ¼ cup olive oil, and some parsley or cilantro.

Cover with saran; marinate 1 hour at room temperature.
(NOT the onions, tomatoes, remaining cheese and anchovies)

Steam mussels

Heat a little olive oil until hot. Add ½ the dried capers and cook until brown and open and crispy. Drain on paper towe1s.

Preheat broiler - broil polenta until brown and crispy - about 7 - 10 minutes, remove, turn oven to 450 degrees.

Scatter the marinate, then the tomatoes and onions, anchovies and remaining cheese.

Bake about 20 - 30 minutes

Add the mussels and bake another 2 minutes or so till crispy.

Sprinkle with the cut parsley or cilantro and fried capers.