Dedicated to the memory of my dear friend, Kathy Beck (1944-2024)
Jump to RecipeAs an official salmon fanatic, I cook one of the world’s healthiest and most popular fish year round. But once summer begins, I find it’s on my menu just a little more often because 1. it grills so easily, 2. is done quickly, 3. pairs with nearly anything, and 4. the leftovers are awesome–think frittata, salad, sandwich, pasta, appetizer spread, or fill-in the blank_____.
I’m rarely stuck about what to serve with salmon as I keep a fridge and countertop full of vegetables and even a plate of sliced tomatoes is fine if it’s hot and sticky. Sometimes I find myself cooking a boatload of this awesome fish because I need the leftovers for a specific purpose. This time, I wanted to take my Greek Salmon Pasta Salad to a friend, so cooked a whole side of salmon one night –making this Salmon on Lemon Polenta with Vegetables for us– then stirring together my friend’s pasta the following afternoon. I still had a little left and tossed that in the freezer so I can make Salmon-Cheese Spread some other day. Salmon: It’s the fish that keeps on giving. If you are one or two, don’t hesitate to cook a whole side of salmon. It’s the old cook once, eat three times mantra.
While this meal looks like quite a bit to cook and eat, follow my roadmap in the recipe (only the polenta takes more than a few minutes) and you’ll be glad and full you when you try this:
Salmon on Lemon Polenta with Vegetables
Ingredients
Vegetables:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided (or more as needed)
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
- 2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch coins
- 1 large orange or yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 4 oz large button mushrooms, quartered
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- crushed red pepper
Salmon and Polenta
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 4 (3-4 ounce) salmon fillets, with skin
- 3 cups (approx.) Alyce's Lemon Polenta for serving (see separate recipe below on blog)
- fresh basil (+/or spinach) leaves for serving
Instructions
Cook the vegetables:
- Place all of the vegetables in a large bowl and season well, tossing with salt, pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium high heat and add one tablespoon of the olive oil. Cook the zucchini in two batches — one layer each, sautéing until browned on one side. Turn and cook the second side. Remove to the bowl. Repeat, adding a little more olive oil if needed. Drizzle in the second tablespoon of olive oil, and add the peppers, onions, and mushrooms, cooking and stirring regularly until vegetables are browned and nearly tender. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, and a pinch of crushed red pepper, cooking another minute or two. Tip the bowl of cooked zucchini back into the skillet, stir, and warm through. Cover to keep warm until needed.
Cook the salmon:
- Heat a stovetop grill pan (or large heavy skillet) over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Drizzle the olive oil in a zig zag pattern in the general shape of one salmon fillet (about a tablespoons for each fillet); repeat for the other three, leaving a little space between them. Heat another minute.
- Meanwhile, pat the salmon fillets dry all over with paper towels. Sprinkle liberally on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Place a sprig of rosemary on each oiled outline on the grill pan. Lay the fillets skin side down on the grill pan on the rosemary and cook without moving for 4 minutes. Carefully turn each fillet over using tongs (add rosemary to top of fish after turning) and cook another 3 minutes or 4 minutes depending on the weight of the fish. The salmon should be just firm but still moist at the center. (FDA indicates 145F on an instant read thermometer for fish. That fish is done! I like medium to medium-rare salmon, so I’d take them off at 125F and let the temperature rise a little as they rest.)Remove fish and rosemary from grill and let rest a minute or two. If you have pan juices, drizzle them over the fish fillets.
PLATE AND SERVE:
- Ladle about 3/4 cup cooked polenta into the center of each serving plate and smoosh a bit to spread. Add a salmon fillet with rosemary sprig to the center of the polenta and spoon the vegetables around the sides. Garnish with fresh basil +/or spinach leaves. Add another grind of fresh pepper over all. Serve hot or warm.
How long does cooked salmon keep? Well, it’s the old Benjamin Franklin adage of “fish and company begin to stink after three days.” And it’s true. Cooked salmon, well-wrapped, will last 3-4 days in your fridge. Make sure you store it there quite soon after cooking; don’t let it sit out too long on the counter, especially in summer. You can also freeze it (again, well-wrapped) 2-3 months. To thaw cooked fish, leave it in the fridge overnight –still wrapped–and warm it briefly or eat cold the following day. Make salmon patties (or burgers) just like my Tuna Patties. 17 Ways to Use Leftover Salmon/TASTING TABLE
No polenta for you? Serve on a bed of fresh, seasoned or sautéed spinach or other greens. Other ideas: mashed potatoes, rice or rice pilaf, quinoa, sliced tomatoes, pasta. And do try polenta another time. BTW, it’s a whole grain.
Parmesan Polenta
Ingredients
- 3 cups each milk and water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups coarse cornmeal/polenta (I like Bob's Red Mill/also says "Corn Grits".)
- 3 tablespoons salted soft butter
- 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (about 1/2 cup)
Instructions
- Off heat, whisk together milk, water, salt, pepper, and cornmeal in a heavy 6-quart pot. (I like cast iron.) Place pot over medium flame and bring to a healthy simmer. Cook, stirring regularly, until thickened. Lower heat as low as you can, cover and cook, stirring and tasting for doneness regularly, until tender and smooth–20-30 minutes total. (If polenta becomes thick, but isn’t cooked yet — tastes grainy/gritty– add more water or milk and continue to cook.) NOTE: Some polenta cooks more quickly. Check your package instructions, please.)
- Remove from heat. Stir in butter and cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings. Cover to keep warm until needed. If cools and thickens, whisk in a little milk or water until thinned to desired texture and reheat, tasting once more at the end.
Notes
Watch Mark Bittman make polenta. He has a bit of a different technique, which is odd because I learned to make polenta from him. In other words, there are many ways to skin a cat; most work. Worth the watch!
8 Ideas for Leftover Polenta/LA CUCINA ITALIANA (I like to warm the polenta and top it with 2 poached eggs and a good shower of Parmigiana Reggiano and crushed red pepper.)
Grits vs Polenta/Cooking School, FOOD NETWORK And, yes, you can use them interchangeably in a pinch but there’ll be a textural/flavor and perhaps a color difference.
Sustainable Salmon Guide/SEAFOOD WATCH Which salmon to buy and what to avoid.
Wine and Salmon: I’m always leaning toward Pinot Noir for salmon but I’ll also drink a Syrah, a Shiraz, or a Côtes du Rhône. Need white? Try Pinot Gris. After saying all that, I’d also think not just the fish but the preparation. My own old saying it, “Pair the prep, not the protein.” A light, simple grilled fillet with capers and butter sauce with grilled asparagus might like a Chardonnay. So. There are choices. That’s good. I like it.
Dessert: This is a well-rounded meal with a fatty fish. Go with something light and lemony should you need a sweet. A sorbet, for instance. A frozen lemon soufflé. A little Limoncello in a pretty little glass would be nice and simple, to boot. Or what about an iced, creamed coffee?
IF YOU LIKED THIS, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE MY…
While my Lemon Polenta with Braised Beef Ragù sounds winterish, I think you’ll enjoy another idea for this perky polenta:
The pasta salad below lends itself to large groups as it doubles or triples easily and that said, it cuts in half, too.
I’m a caprese lover from the git-go and here’s my salmon version. If you’re not in the mood to make the red pepper sauce, some diced red bell peppers — fresh or sautéed — will do instead:
Alyce’s Note: There is no shortage of salmon recipes on More Time at the Table. Just type “Salmon” into the search box OR click on “SALMON” in the word cloud for a long, happy list. Yes, thank you very much; I love salmon!
LIFE GOES ON:
In memoriam: Kathy Beck, aged 79
My dear friend and teacher, Kathy Beck, crossed the river last Tuesday after suffering a fall and blow to the head from which she seemingly recovered but had not. I’m grateful for her long presence in my life; the more than ten years of weekly mornings spent in her company in our Bible study group, “Nerds,” were amongst the most meaningful in my life. A retired children’s librarian (we worked together at East Library here in COS, though neither of us remembered the other!), Kathy was also a Biblical scholar who was smart enough to know how to share her knowledge/experience largely and generously. I will miss her always and know she is holding forth in heaven, where she is surely bringing laughter and rolling eyes to the angels who stood to welcome her into their ranks with wide open wings.
Love your friends. Laugh often.
Thanks for your company on one more salmon expedition; I expect it’s not the last.
Alyce