Crispy skin-on salmon with polenta chips

When buying salmon look for the MSC label, which means that the salmon is from a sustainable source. Polenta (cornmeal) is rather strangelooking stuff and the instant kind, when boiled up, looks rather like mash potato.

However, when set into a square and cut into ‘chips,’ it starts to turn into something rather special.

EQUIPMENT

20cm square tin

POLENTA CHIPS

900ml good quality vegetable or chicken stock

200g instant polenta

1 stalk of fresh rosemary, leaves

finely chopped (to give about 1 tbsp)

20 large fresh sage leaves

20 slices of pancetta

2 tbsp olive oil

GREMOLATA

4 garlic cloves (can use more or less depending on your taste), roughly chopped

Handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped

50ml olive oil

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

CRISPY SKIN SALMON

1 tbsp olive oil

4 sustainably caught salmon steaks, with the skin scored

ASPARAGUS

1 tbsp olive oil

250g asparagus spears

SAUCE (OPTIONAL)

50g unsalted butter

Small handful of fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

Flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Line a 20cm square tin with baking parchment or heatproof cling film. Bring the stock to the boil in a large saucepan. Reduce the heat to a fast simmer and, using a silicone whisk or rubber spatula, gradually stir in the polenta. Add the rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring constantly, until large volcanic-like bubbles form. The polenta will swell and become really thick. Don’t leave for a minute or it could become lumpy. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Leave aside to cool for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the gremolata. Place the garlic, parsley and lemon zest in a pestle and mortar and pound the mixture to a mash so all the flavours mix together. Then stir the oil through. Alternatively, blend everything

together in a mini blender until as fi ne as possible. Either way, spoon into a small serving bowl and set aside.

Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Once the polenta is firm, pull it up out of the tin, place on a chopping board and carefully remove the paper or cling fi lm. Cut the slab into 10 x 2cm wide strips and then cut them in half across to give twenty chunky chips. Being careful not to break the chips, wrap a sage leaf around the middle of each one, followed by a slice of pancetta. Arrange on the tray as you go. These can be prepared to this stage a day ahead of time, in which case, cover with cling film and keep in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 110°C, (fan 80°C), 225°F, Gas Mark 1/4.

Heat two large frying pans on a medium to high heat and drizzle a tablespoon of oil into each one. Fry ten polenta chips in each pan for about 1–2 minutes on each side. Use a small fish slice to carefully turn them over to avoid breaking them. Arrange them back on the baking sheet once cooked and pop them in the oven to keep warm. Wipe out the frying pans with kitchen paper and return both to a medium to high heat with a tablespoon of oil in each one. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and once the oil is hot, place the fi sh skinside down in one pan and leave to cook for about 3–4 minutes. Meanwhile, saute the asparagus in the other pan for 3–4 minutes, tossing occasionally.

If you want to make the sauce, simply melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the finely chopped parsley and lemon juice and season to taste. Once the fish has had its time, flip it over and let it cook for 4 minutes on the other side.

Meanwhile, remove the polenta chips from the oven and arrange five on each serving plate. Divide the asparagus up evenly among them also. Once the salmon is cooked to your liking (either a little pink in the centre or cooked completely through) remove from the heat and arrange one on each serving plate. If you made the optional sauce, pour this over now. Serve at once with the gremolata and lemon wedges.

Discover many more dishes like this in Lorraine's How To Be A Better Cook.