There is a journey here, from the sweet and sour strawberry relish, to the umami packed sea bass fillet and herb crust, and landing on the crispy yet creamy polenta base.
This dish scales very well. It makes a great appetiser or tapas dish, yet combined with a salad or other vegetables can be substantial enough for a main course.
The sea bass worked worked very well, suitably firm yet succulent. You may of course substitute it for any other fish that responds well to being crumbed or battered and fried. Snapper, basa, and snakehead come to mind, in decreasing order of price.
I had more polenta cake than I needed, so stored the unused portions in the freezer. It is ideal for polenta chips/fries.
Ingredients
Parmesan polenta cake
- 1 cup polenta medium grind
- 5 cups water
- 1 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
- 30 g butter
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
Herb crusted fillet
- 500 g sea bass fillets for 4 people I used sea bass, but substitute with what you have available
- 1 cup parsley heads loosely packed stalks removed
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 5 sprigs thyme
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 grated zest of a lime or lemon
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- Oil for frying
Strawberry relish
- 250 g strawberries
- 1 small onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 large mild chilli
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp water
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
Parmesan polenta cake
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Combine the water and polenta in a large bowl and allow to soak overnight.
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Transfer the polenta and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
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Reduce to a medium-low heat and continue cooking for 30 minutes. Stir frequently. Use a spatula to scrap the sides and bottom of the saucepan.
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Remove from the heat and whisk in the salt, olive oil, butter, and parmesan.
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Spread out evenly into a flat low sided tray, cover with baking paper and press until evenly spread. Refrigerate for a few hours, until well set.
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Turn the polenta out on to a cutting board, being careful to keep it intact.
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Cut the polenta into pieces about 5x10 cm. Should more or less match the size of the fish fillets.
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Heat oil in a skillet and fry the polenta cake until starting to brown. Same on the other side.
Herb crusted fillet
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Add the parsley, basil, thyme leaves, panko breadcrumbs, garlic, and lemon zest to a food processor and pulse until combined and of a uniform green consistency.
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Add the flour to one bowl, the two eggs lightly whisked to another, and the parsley breadcrumb mixture to a third.
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Dust each fish fillet in flour, then in the whisked egg, then coat well with the green breadcrumbs. Set aside on a plate.
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Cover the crumbed fillets with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until nearly ready to serve.
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Heat the oil to a medium heat. Not too hot, as we want to retain the green colour. Test a small piece of crumbed fish first to ensure the correct temperature.
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Shallow or deep fry the crumbed fillets in the oil until crispy but still green.
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Drain on paper towels.
Strawberry relish
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Coarsely chop the strawberries.
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Finely chop the onion, garlic, and chilli.
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Sauté the onion, garlic, and chilli in a little olive oil until soft.
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Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until it reduces to a jam like consistency (approx. 45 minutes).
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