Last Updated on September 28, 2020 by Chef Mireille
Pan Seared Salmon & Creamy Polenta
Fish and Polenta are a quick and easy way to serve dinner up. Comfort food – Italian Style! This is a fast and easy weeknight dinner!
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Have you ever had polenta in porridge form?
Many cultures have a form of savory cornmeal porridge that is eaten. In the Caribbean, it is called Coo Coo and cooked with okra and in the American South it is called grits and commonly eaten with eggs for breakfast.
However, the most popular form of savory cornmeal porridge worldwide has got to be polenta.
Like the foods of any nation, Italian food is regional and polenta is mostly eaten in Northern Italy. What pasta and pizza are to southern Italians, polenta is to northern Italians.
Hardly a meal can go by without polenta making an appearance in some form, whether it is cooked firm and grilled or fried like in these Polenta Fries or cooked into a creamy cheesy porridge, like I have done here or even in desserts like this Peach Upside Down Polenta Cake.
Can I use any cornmeal to make polenta?
You definitely want to purchase polenta and not just ordinary yellow or white cornmeal. It won’t cook to the same consistency.
 The cornmeal for polenta is milled very fine, so that it cooks very quickly.  I used instant polenta in this recipe, which cooks even quicker.  For traditional polenta, you will have to cook the polenta for longer.
If you like a little more sauce with your food, you can also try my other version of a Fish Polenta dinner – Pesce fra Diavolo
Now let’s check your pantry and get your shopping list ready to make Pan Salmon & Polenta.
Shopping List
- skin on salmon
- garlic
- olive oil
- dried rosemary
- chicken stock or vegetable broth
- oregano
- instant polenta
- Parmesan cheese
Suggested Tools
- Reusable food storage bags (a zero waste environmentally friendly alternative to Ziploc bags)
- Garlic Press
- Fish Spatula
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Saucepan
Now we have everything. I know you are ready to make this delicious Italian Comfort Food!
Every bite is filled with delicious flavors of herbs and salty cheese!
Pan Seared Salmon & Polenta
Ingredients
Salmon Ingredients
- 1 lb. salmon skin on
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary or a few springs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
Polenta Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup instant polenta
- 4 oz. Parmesan cheese freshly grated
Instructions
- Put salmon with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, garlic and rosemary in a Ziploc bag.
- Seal and shake. Â Place in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes or up to overnight to marinate.
- Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. You need a good amount of oil so that you get a nice crispy skin.
- Place fish skin side down in skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, until skin is crispy.
- Turn over and cook another few minutes, until fish is cooked through.
- Heat chicken stock to a boil.
- Add oregano and salt.
- Slowly add polenta, stirring constantly and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.
- Add cheese and stir to combine.
Notes
Nutrition
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I have polenta in my pantry,i should try this..luks so gud with fish.