Black Bass With Piperade And Polenta Food

HARD POLENTA CAKES

Steps:

• In a saucepan combine the milk, water, bay and cayenne. Bring the mixture to a boil over low heat and season generously with salt. Take the seasoning to the edge of too salty. To do this you MUST taste as you go. Polenta acts as a salt eraser, if you don't season abundantly here you will never recover from it.
• Once the liquid is at a boil and is seasoned appropriately, sprinkle in the polenta whisking constantly. Once the polenta is combined switch over to a wooden spoon and stir frequently until the polenta has become thick. Taste the polenta to see if it has cooked through. If it still feels mealy and grainy, add some more milk or water and cook it to a thick consistency. Repeat this process, as needed, until the polenta feels smooth on your tongue, about 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the chopped sage and mascarpone.
• Line a 7 by 7-inch square pan with plastic wrap. Pour the polenta into the prepared pan. Cover the top with more plastic smoothed onto the surface of the polenta. Chill in the refrigerator until needed. (All of this can totally be done ahead of time, like yesterday! Cool!)
• When ready to use, remove the polenta from the pan and cut into desired shapes. Coat a nonstick saute pan with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot and starting to smoke just a little, add the polenta shapes. Cook the polenta on both sides and finish by sprinkling with a little bit grated Parmigiano. Transfer to a serving platter and serve while hot.
• What a corncake!!!!

SOFT PARMESAN POLENTA

Steps:

• In a medium-size saucepan, bring the milk, 2 cups water and bay leaf to a boil. Season generously with salt, almost to the point of over seasoning. How do you know that you are there? TASTE IT! When it has reached a boil, slowly whisk in the polenta in small sprinkles. Once all of the polenta has been incorporated, reduce the heat to medium and immediately switch over to stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook the polenta until it begins to pull away from the pan, adding water to loosen it up if it becomes too thick.
• When the polenta is thoroughly cooked, it should look creamy and not feel gritty on your tongue. Remove it from the heat and stir in the Parmesan and mascarpone.

SEARED BLACK BASS WITH BITTER GREENS, GRAPEFRUIT AND FETA SALAD

Steps:

• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Coat the bottom of another smaller saute pan with olive oil. Sprinkle the fish with salt on both sides. When the large saute pan is screaming hot but not quite smoking, lay the fish fillets in the pan, skin-side down. Do not crowd the pan, you may have to work in batches. After you put the fish in the pan, place the other small saute pan directly on top of the fish fillets. This applies gentle pressure to the fish and forces the skin to have contact with the pan and will create crispy skin. Cook the fish for 3 to 4 minutes and then remove the top pan. Shake the pan a little to unstick the fish. Use a fish spatula and flip the fish fillets and cook for 2 more minutes on the other side. Remove from the pan and serve or keep warm until the remaining fish is cooked.
• In a large mixing bowl, dress the greens and red onions with olive oil and grapefruit juice and season with salt. Toss in the olive slivers and grapefruit supremes.
• Divide the salad among 4 serving plates and sprinkle with feta. Lean a fish fillet on each salad. Serve immediately.

PIPERADE BASQUAISE

Steps:

• Prepare the piperade by first heating the 4 tablespoons of fat of your choice in a heavy 8-inch frying pan or, better still, in a small oval copper or enamel pan that you can bring to the table. Add the chopped onions and garlic and cook them for about 5 minutes over moderate heat, stirring them frequently until they are soft but not brown. Stir in the pepper strips, turning them in the fat now and then, letting them cook for about 10 minutes, at which point they should be tender but still crisp. Drain the chopped tomatoes thoroughly and add them to the pan, sprinkling in at the same time the dried or fresh basil and the pepper flakes or hot pepper sauce. Raise the heat and cook the tomatoes briskly for a few minutes and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until all their moisture has evaporated. Be careful that the piperade doesn't burn. Put it aside until you are ready to reheat and serve it.
• At that point, combine 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter in an 8-inch heavy frying pan, and over moderate heat, cook the julienned ham for a few minutes until the strips are thoroughly heated through. Remove them at once with a slotted spoon and spread them out on paper toweling to drain.
• Meanwhile let the fat in the frying pan cool to lukewarm before pouring it into the eggs, lightly beaten with salt and pepper. Over low heat, stir the eggs with a rubber spatula until they begin to form soft, creamy curds. Remove them from the heat when they are not quite set and gently spread them over the reheated piperade. Let some of the colorful vegetables show through. Lightly scatter the ham on top, sprinkle with the chopped parsley and/or chopped chives, and serve at once.

BLACK BASS AND GAMBERI CACCIUCCO

Steps:

• For the polenta: Add the milk, cayenne, bay leaf and 1 cup water to a saucepot and heat until just barely a simmer. Stir in the polenta and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and Parmesan. Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with cooking spray and press the polenta in the bottom of the dish. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to set, about 1 hour.
• For the cacciucco: Add the wine, half of the chopped fennel (reserve the fronds for garnish), half of the chopped onions, a pinch of red pepper flakes and some salt to a large stockpot (about 8 quarts). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the wine is reduced by one-half, then fill the pot halfway with water. Squish in the tomatoes with your hands and add them to the pot with their juices. Add the shrimp shells and cod carcass. Season with another pinch of red pepper flakes and some salt. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and reserve this tomato base.
• In a separate saucepot, bring some water to a boil; prepare an ice bath. Blanch the haricot verts in the boiling water, then shock in the ice bath. Reserve.
• In a large high-sided skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining chopped fennel and onions and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and saute for a minute more. Add a ladle of the tomato base to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Add the clams, saffron and fennel pollen, cover and cook. Remove the clams from the skillet as they open and set aside. Add another 2 ladles of the tomato base and the lemon juice to the skillet and keep warm.
• Season the bass fillets with salt. In a nonstick pan, add the remaining tablespoon olive oil and heat over medium heat. Place the fillets in the pan skin-side down. Pan-fry the fish 2 minutes per side and remove to a baking sheet skin-side up. Add the shrimp and haricot verts with a pinch of salt and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook until the shrimp are pink.
• Add the clams back to the skillet with the tomato base.
• Remove the polenta from the fridge and flip it out onto a cutting board. Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut out rounds and place 1 in the bottom of each of 4 serving bowls. Top each with some haricot verts, a bass fillet, a couple of big shrimp and 2 to 3 clams. Then ladle about 1/2 cup of broth over top. Garnish with fennel fronds and a pinch of fennel pollen.

BLACK BEANS AND POLENTA

Steps:

• Add the oil to a saucepan and let get heated over medium heat.
• Add in onion; increase heat to high and stir/saute onion for 3 minutes or until tender.
• Add in the wine, garlic, and oregano; stir and cook for 1 minute.
• Drain one can of beans and add to saucepan; add in the other can of beans undrained; stir to combine.
• Cover pan and lower heat to medium; let cook while you are making the polenta; uncover and stir occasionally and season to taste with salt/pepper if needed.
• Add the vegetable broth and rosemary to a soup pot; cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Uncover and lower heat to medium.
• While whisking constantly, slowly and gradually add the cornmeal to the boiling broth.
• Continue whisking for 2-3 minuutes or until the mixture is a porridgelike consistency.
• Take polenta off burner and add in the cheese and margarine; stir to combine; season with salt and pepper if needed.
• Spoon polenta into individiual serving bowls; top with beans.
• Serve warm.