Polenta Quick Bread With Lemon And Thyme Food

POLENTA BREAD (ABM)

Steps:

• Add ingredients to your bread machine in the order recommended by your manufacturer (for mine, it is the order as given above) but, DO NOT add in the eggs in any order in which they come directly in contact with the warm water, or they will cook (that is why I add them in between the flour and the polenta).
• Use the regular white bread setting.

LEMON-THYME BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg. Combine buttermilk and sour cream. Combine the flour, thyme, lemon zest, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beating well after each addition., Transfer to a greased 8x4-in. loaf pan. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Cool completely; sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

POLENTA QUICK BREAD WITH LEMON AND THYME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Dust with flour, and tap out excess; set aside.
• Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add lemon zest; mix 1 minute.
• Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Mix in lemon juice and thyme.
• Add flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt, and mix until just combined.
• Stir in chopped pine nuts.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with pine nuts.
• Bake until a pick inserted into center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes.
• Let cool completely on a wire rack.
• Garnish with thyme.

POLENTA QUICK BREAD WITH LEMON AND THYME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Dust with flour, and tap out excess; set aside. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add lemon zest; mix 1 minute. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in lemon juice and thyme. Add flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt, and mix until just combined. Stir in chopped pine nuts.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Garnish with thyme.

PAN-SEARED WILD PACIFIC KING SALMON WITH LEMON AND THYME POLENTA CAKE

Steps:

• For the polenta cake:
• Bring water and milk to a boil. Whisk in polenta, turn down heat to low and stir often with wooden spoon, cooking until polenta is soft, approximately 20 minutes. Look for polenta to firm up and start coming away from the sides of the saucepan. When desired texture is reached, remove saucepan from heat and fold in lemon zest, Parmesan, and thyme. On a cookie sheet evenly spread out polenta mixture to 3/4-inch thickness and place in refrigerator to cool. Remove polenta from the refrigerator and cut out cakes of about 4-inch circumference.** (See Cook's Note)
• For the salmon:
• Place small amount of oil in a large cast iron or heavy-bottomed pan on high heat. Sear both sides of salmon being careful not to cook beyond medium for best results.
• For the vegetables:
• Saute pattypan squash and zucchini in saute pan with shallots and extra-virgin olive oil. Do not overcook, leaving a nice crunch to the vegetable For the sauce: Make the sauce by browning butter over medium heat until light brown. Add shallots, thyme, sherry vinegar and reduce by a quarter. Add demi-glace and bring to a quick boil. Remove and finish with tomato concasse.
• To finish:
• Sear both sides of the polenta cakes over medium heat, allowing them to warm through, as well as, achieve a golden crust. Serve with vegetables and salmon pouring the sauce over the salmon.

DAMN HOT POLENTA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Generously butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish; set aside. In a large bowl, stir the flour, polenta, cheese, scallions, sugar, baking powder, baking, soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula just until blended; do not over-mix.
• Add 3/4 cup Damn Hot Peppers and then stir in hot sauce, to taste. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and level it with a rubber spatula. Bake until the bread is golden brown and firm to the touch, about 35 minutes. Cool briefly and then cut into squares and serve warm. If not serving immediately, cover with more melted butter to keep moist overnight.
• In a non-reactive saucepan, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot add the bell peppers, jalapenos and sea salt. Cook over medium high heat for about 15 minutes or until the peppers are partially tender. Stir the bottom from time to time, adjusting the heat as necessary so that they don't brown. There will still be some liquid left in the pot.
• Add the tomatoes, lower the heat to a simmer and continue cooking for about 10 minutes, to reduce the tomato juice and finish cooking the peppers. Add additional salt, if needed. Add to batter as directed.

CREAMY POLENTA & MUSHROOM RAGOUT

Steps:

• Soak the dried mushrooms in 150ml warm water. Set aside for 20 mins, then drain and squeeze, reserving the soaking liquid. Heat the butter in a large frying pan. When sizzling, add the shallot and cook for a few mins until soft. Add the garlic and thyme leaves, cook for 1 min more, then turn up the heat and add the soaked mushrooms. After 1 min, add all the other mushrooms and fry over a very high heat for 5 mins until soft. Splash in the red wine and boil rapidly for 1 min. Pour in the stock and reserved mushroom liquid, and simmer for 15 mins until you have a thickened stew. Turn off the heat.
• For the polenta, bring the milk to the boil with 500ml water, the bay and thyme. Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for 20 mins, then fish out the herbs and bring back to the boil. Add the polenta in a steady stream, whisking steadily. Cook for 1 min until thickened, then stir in the butter and Parmesan. Spoon a 'crater' of polenta onto a baking tray and fill with the ragout. Top with slices of Taleggio, place under a hot grill until melting and oozy, then let everyone help themselves.