Slow-roasted Salmon with Polenta

Ladies and gents, cut it out. All this whining, all this angst. Enough.

It appears I’ll be sans Valentine this year – no, that’s not sad, don’t give me that look. That’s the way I want it. Haters gon’ hate, but I’m happy and life’s pretty good right now. I’ve never been into the whole obligatory romantic shebang anyway, nor have I met anyone who was truly salivating over the trifecta of flowers, jewellery and chocolates.  But all of this “I want to punch Valentine’s Day in the ___” sentiment is bothering me. Why get so worked up?

I think Philly’s dating diva, Shmitten Kitten, summed it up quite nicely: “It doesn’t have to be a pity party – just have fun! There’s nothing more unattractive than someone seething with hatred at a holiday that celebrates all that mushy love stuff that ultimately everyone deep down is looking for.“

Whether you love your boyfriend, your wife, the cutie at the pub, or your adorable new cat Dinah (TANYA I AM LOOKING AT YOU) … love is grand and it is everywhere. So suck it up, babies.

So you’ve got yourself a honey this year? Get your smoochin’ on. Good for you!

In the single or “it’s complicated” set? Quit your moping and go have some fun. Or, like I did this week, stay in and cook something special, just for you.

It’s actually a pretty novel concept. The meals we cook ourselves are often rushed, practical, and far less spectacular than ones we cook for others. I’m guilty of it; coming home late from work, the only thing I want is pasta, in my belly, now. But this week, I challenge you to set aside the time.

I bought a beautiful filet of wild salmon, though the poor thing had been manhandled by the grunts behind the counter. No matter – it was about to get a loving treatment at home.

Since this was a special occasion – MOI – I spent way too much on a collection of baby heirloom tomatoes. Yes, it’s not the season.  But they were delicious and so damn cute.

I decided to slowly roasted the salmon, inspired by a dish I had in New York recently. This method of cooking in a low-heat oven gives the fish a soft, tender feel that just melts in your mouth. A soft, garlic-spiked polenta served as a based, while spinach ribbons and roasted tomatoes broke up the richness.

Though I don’t have a picture of it, I broke out the last vial of olive oil that I brought back with me from Italy, pressed from my landlady’s olive trees. Every detail of this meal was important, colourful and meticulously cared for. Half a bottle of riesling, picked out by our wine guy, helped seal the deal.

Please do this. Love yourself. Make an effort.  Don’t let anyone or anything get you down.

Slow-roasted salmon with polenta

Portioned for one, but you can obviously make this for two or more. Just change the measurements for your situation.

Ingredients:

6 oz filet of salmon

6 – 7 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup cooked soft polenta (see Mark Bittman’s instructions here or my note below!)

freshly-ground salt and pepper

handful baby spinach leaves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 F/ 120 C. Wash salmon and pat dry. Rub with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place a piece of parchment paper in a roasting tray and lay the salmon on it. Top with a few of the tomato halves, then spread the rest around the tray. Cook at a low heat for 20 minutes. The meat will continue to cook once removed from the oven, so don’t overdo it. Test the salmon for doneness –  it should be flakey and the meat should change colour to a lighter opaque pink.

While that’s cooking, prepare your polenta. Wash and dry a few spinach leaves, then carefully cut into ribbons.

To serve, spoon polenta on to your serving plate. Top with salmon filet and arrange tomatoes on top and around. Top with spinach ribbons and drizzle with remaining tablespoon of olive oil.

Polenta note: Because I was making this during the Great Snowdown of 2010, my local shop was ravaged and didn’t have cornmeal. Crazy, right? Who runs out of cornmeal? I bought pre-cooked plain polenta and decided to improvise. From the round, cut off about an inch and a half, then chop into small pieces. Place in a pot with about a 1/4 cup of water and a drizzle of olive oil or butter. Smash in a half clove of garlic. Stir and smash everything together until the water absorbs and your polenta is soft and creamy. You may need to add more water as you go. It’s not ideal but it’s quick and works in the middle of a blizzard!