Delicate, fresh flounder is perfectly paired with spicy basil, parsley, onion, capers, sardines, and lemon juice topping. Assemble this dish in the morning and bake it just before serving. Scale the recipe up or down to suit your needs.
The original recipe for this week’s molded polenta with seafood and vegetables comes from Lidia Bastianich, who used shrimp. This recipe has mushrooms, red bell pepper, and peas. Make sure the mushrooms are no larger than 2 inches in diameter.
Serve this spectacular dish with the flounder at your next dinner party.
Bon appetit!
8 ounces fresh cremini mushrooms, small to medium, trimmed
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1 cup tiny green peas, defrosted and drained
Extra virgin olive oil as needed (about 5 to 6 tablespoons total)
7 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups coarse cornmeal, preferably stone ground
Boiling water as needed
1 box of heirloom cherry tomatoes for garnish
Coat a 5-by-9-by-3-inch loaf pan with olive oil and set aside.
To prepare the vegetables: Trim off hard tips of the stems, wash mushrooms, and immediately wipe dry.
Coat with olive oil the bottom of a heavy non-stick skillet over high heat, then sauté the mushrooms until they squeak, about 2 minutes.
Transfer to a plate and set aside. Pour off pan juices.
In the same skillet over high heat, add a bit of oil and sauté red pepper until browned but not overcooked. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Using the same skillet, sauté the tiny peas until hot, about 1 minute; transfer to a plate, and set aside.
To make the polenta: Bring the water to a boil in a large heavy saucepan over high heat, and add the salt. Using a long handled wooden spoon or heavy whisk, stir constantly in one direction with one hand and the other direction with the other hand while very slowly adding the cornmeal, shaking the meal over the boiling water to prevent lumps from forming. Be sure to keep the water boiling.
After all the cornmeal is added, continue stirring until the polenta is thick and pulls away easily from the sides of the pan with the spoon. If it is too thick, add a little boiling water. It should be cooked, thick and creamy, in 25 to 30 minutes.
Immediately add the mushrooms, peppers, and peas and stir well to distribute them evenly in the polenta. Quickly pour the polenta into the oiled loaf pan, using a rubber spatula to smooth the top. Tap on the counter to remove any air pockets.
Let cool at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours. (If making a day ahead, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)
Tip the loaf pan upside down onto a cutting board and lift off the pan. Using a sharp thin knife cut the polenta into half-inch-thick slices.
To broil: Place the slices on an oiled baking sheet and broil about 8 inches from the heat source, turning once until golden and crisp on both sides, about 15 minutes total.
Or, pour about a quarter of an inch of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Working in batches, slip the slices into the hot oil and fry a few at a time until brown, turning only once, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to paper towel-lined baking sheet plate and keep hot in the oven until all are fried. Serve at once, garnish with cherry tomatoes.
*Adapted from “Antipasti, Little Dishes of Italy” by Julia Della Croce, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 1993.
Eight 6-ounce fillets of flounder (or fluke or sole)
6 stalks organic celery with leaves, ends trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 small red onion, sliced
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
1/2 large white sweet onion, chopped
About 1/3 cup spicy basil leaves loosely packed
About 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley leaves, loosely packed
8 boneless skinless sardines, drained, broken into pieces
3 tablespoons drained nonpareil capers
Juice of two lemons, freshly squeezed
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Optional: About 1/4 cup dry vermouth
Preheat the oven to 400.
Lightly coat with olive oil the bottom of a large heavy baking/serving dish. Scatter chopped celery and red onion over the bottom of the dish.
With a sharp knife, remove and discard the spiny column down the center of each fillet.
Arrange the fillets on top of the celery with the largest and thickest pieces on the sides of the dish. Drizzle a little lemon juice on top of the fillets.
Meanwhile, on a large chopping board, chop the onion, basil and parsley together until evenly chopped.
Add the capers and sardines and chop the mixture together until evenly mixed.
Spoon the onion/sardine mixture on top of the fish, evenly dividing it among the fillets. Drizzle lemon juice or vermouth and olive oil over the whole affair.
Place a piece of parchment paper cut to fit inside the baking dish directly on top of the onions. (If making ahead of time, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)
Bake the fish in the center of the oven until the fish flakes, about 15 to 20 minutes. The cooking time depends on the thickness of the fish.
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