Pan-Seared Salmon With Polenta

Erica Miller cooks up a three-course salmon meal for four on our $30 dollar budget.

Miller is a former Food Network host and personality. She's now focusing on the opening of her new restaurant, Kloe. It occupies the space of a former speakeasy in New York City.

Miller describes her food as seasonal, eclectic and contemporary American.

Her "Shoestring" menu:

Terminology:

Galette: Hailing from France, a galette is a round, rather flat cake made of flaky-pastry dough, yeast dough, or sometimes an unleavened dough. The term also applies to a variety of tarts, both savory and sweet, and there are as many variations as there are French regions. They may be topped with fruit, jam, nuts, meat, cheese, etc.

Ricotta: This rich fresh cheese is slightly grainy, but smoother than cottage cheese. It also has a sweeter flavor. Most Italian ricottas are made from the whey drained in making mozzarella and provolone. Technically, this type of ricotta is not really cheese because it's made from a cheese by-product. The word ricotta means "re-cooked" and is derived from the fact that the cheese is made by heating the whey from another cooked cheese.

Polenta: A staple of northern Italy, polenta is a mush made from cornmeal. It can be eaten hot with a little butter or cooled until firm, cut into squares and fried. Polenta is sometimes mixed with cheese or other ingredients. It can be served as a first course, side dish, or a hearty breakfast

Filo or Phyllo: Either spelling is acceptable. The word refers to tissue-thin layers of pastry dough used in various Greek and Middle Eastern sweet and savory preparations. It's similar to a strudel dough.

Confit: Traditionally, this refers to an ancient method of preserving meat. In old days, pork, goose, duck, or other meat were cooked and preserved in its own fat. You can also do this with fruits and vegetables by cooking and preserving them in brandy or a liquor syrup.

The Recipes:

Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella Gallette

Ingredients:

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 bunch basil
2 oz. fresh parmesan (optional)
4 oz. fresh mozzarella
1/2 cup fresh parmesan, grated
1/2 cup ricotta
2 eggs
salt and pepper
2 puff pastry sheets or a box of uncooked pie-crust dough

Method:

Puree all the ingredients except the tomatoes in the food processor. Season to taste.

Use muffin tins or individual ramekins to create the mini-tart shells. Divide the pastry or dough into four equal portions and line 4 tins or ramekins, extending slightly above the edge so you will have "sides" to the tart. Place in a 350 degree oven until the shells are lightly golden brown. This should take about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Fill the baked shells with the pureed mixture and top with tomato halves.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Serve warm.

Pan Seared Salmon With Polenta Spoonbread

Ingredients:

4 6 oz. Salmon
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
2 cups whole milk
1 cup water
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. cumin
2 ears corn
2 tbsp. fresh chives
1 tbsp. fresh thyme
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
2 tbs. butter
2 eggs (yolks and whites separated - reserve both)
1 bunch parsley
1/3 cup olive oil

Method:

Using a knife, scrape kernels off the ears of corn.

Bring milk to a boil with all the herbs and spices, the red and yellow bell pepper and the corn kernels.

Slowly whisk in the cornmeal and cook for 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the butter and egg yolks. Allow to cool.

Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.

Gently fold the egg whites into the polenta mixture.

Pour the polenta mixture into a 9x9 inch cake pan.

Place the pan into a larger pan and pour water into the larger pan to create a water bath.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Heat a little of the olive oil in a skillet. Place the salmon into the hot pan and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the salmon for about a minute and a half on each side. It should be lightly browned outside, and lightly pink inside. Cook a little longer, if you prefer salmon more welll done.

Place the salmon on top of the spoonbread.

Puree the remaining olive oil with the parsley. Strain.

Drizzle the parsley oil onto the plated salmon.

Confit of Apple Tart

Ingredients:

4 Gala, Braeburn or Cortland Apples
2 tbsp. fresh thyme
3/4 cup butter
filo sheets
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
1 small box of strawberries

Method:

In a saucepan, melt the butter, then put the sugar and thyme leaves in the melted butter.

Peel and slice the apples and lay the sliced apples on a cookie sheet.

Brush half of the butter mixture on top of the apples.

Bake at 300 degrees until tender.

Next, make a "sandwich of filo: Using a pastry brush, brush the butter-sugar mixture on a sheet of filo. Add another layer of filo on top of the first sheet and brush that sheet with the butter-sugar mixture. Repeat with a third sheet of filo.

Cut the "sandwich" of filo into four 2"x3" squares. Place the aquares on an ungreased sheet pan or cookie sheet, cover loosely with foil or another sheet pan, and bake at 300 degrees for 7-10 minutes until golden brown.

Arrange the apple slices in a fan shape on top of the baked filo squares.

In a food processor, puree the strawberries until smooth, strain to remove any lumps, and then drizzle over the squares.

*Chef Miller says you do not have to strain the strawberries if you don't want to, but it makes for a nicer presentation.