Salmon with White Corn Grits and Tomato Salsa

By Tufgrlz

Ingredients

• 1 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 Tbs. bacon fat
• 1 Tbs. kosher salt
• 3/4 cup instant white corn grits
• 1 Tbs. minced chives
• 4 (4-6 oz) salmon, skin-on
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 dill pickle
• 1/2 cup chives, chopped fine
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 3 Tbs. capers, smashed and chopped
• 1 cup sungold or cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 3 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• 3 anchovy fillets, well-chopped to taste, salt
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 4 sprigs fresh dill

Preparation

Step 1

For grits:

Bring the mascarpone, milk and chicken broth to a simmer in a stock pot over medium-high heat. Add teh nutmeg, bay leaves, bacon fat and salt; simmer 2 minutes. Whisk in the grits. Bring to a simmer, then turn down heat and whisk constantly for 5 - 7 minutes, until thick and creamy. Stir in 1 Tbs. chives. Remove from heat; keep warm.

Preheat oven to 250. Season salmon with salt on the skin side only; allow salmon to rest for 15 minutes. In a non-reactive bowl, mix 1/4 cup olive oil with dill, 1/2 cup chives, lemon zest and juice, capers, tomatoes, red wine vinegar and anchovies to create salsa. Saute garlic in 2 Tbs. olive oil until toasted, then add to salsa.

Place salmon fillets on a spray-coated baking pan. Cover salmon with dill and rosemary sprigs and bake skin-side up for 20-25 minutes just until opaque throughout. Serve each salmon fillet over 1/2 cup of grits, then top with 1/3 cup salsa.