Cornmeal Crusted Salmon in Pesto Mussel Broth

This is a variation on a recipe from my Chef at Home cook book by Michael Smith. I added some garlic and lemon steamed rainbow chard to the plate and set the broth and salmon on top of that. It added some delicious green goodness and made it a little more filling. I also used a courser type cornmeal. If you want a thicker crust you should use finely ground cornmeal. I also added some more herbs to the cornmeal mixture. It turned out awesome. It amazes me how something so simple can be so delicious! (Serves 2)

Pesto Mussel broth
12 mussels in the shell, rinsed and scrubbed
a big splash of any white wine
a smaller splash of heavy cream
a heaping tsp of store bought or homemade pesto
salt and pepper to taste

Toss mussels, wine and heavy cream in a medium saucepan and turn heat to medium high. Cover with lid and let cook for about 5 minutes until mussels pop open. When cool enough to handle, shuck them and discard shells. heat and stir in the pesto before serving and season to taste. set aside.

Steamed Rainbow chard (optional)
1 clove of garlic, very thinly sliced
1 bunch of rainbow chard, stems sliced and leaves roughly chopped
a pinch of chili flakes
juice of half a lemon

Saute garlic, chili flakes and chard stems in a tbsp or so of butter for a minute or so then add leaves and cover to steam for about 4 more minutes or until leaves are wilted. Stir in lemon juice. cover and set aside

Cornmeal Crusted Salmon
2 salmon fillets
1/3 cup of cornmeal
A few grinds of salt and pepper
A couple tsp of poppy seeds or your favorite herbs like basil, tarragon etc. I used some of Epicure's fish and seafood seasoning.
(Chopped fresh parsley, basil or tarragon works too)

Combine all ingredients in a large freezer bag or shallow dish and coat each salmon fillet in the cornmeal.
heat a medium size frying pan* over medium-high heat and add enough oil to cover the bottom in a thin layer. When oil is hot add slamon fillets and cook a few minutes on each side until crisp, golden brown and cooked through.

To assemble: Place a handful of steamed chard in the middle of a shallow bowl, then add the pesto mussels and broth then top with a piece of fish.

*This is a time when a real, NOT non-stick frying pan is so much better. It just not possible to get such a lovely crispy crust in a non-stick pan. Invest in one for dishes like this or when you want a really nice caramelization on a steak or porkchop, or to get an amazingly crispy skin of a piece of fish. The bits that stick to the bottom can be deglazed into a lovely sauce too. save the teflon for fried eggs or omelets.