Goat Cheese-Stuffed Sardines With Mediterranean Flavors

Submitted by derMoerder

This is a dish from my five-course goat cheese menu which I put together as a project at the [FCI].

1. Watermelon-Goat Cheese "Nigiri" With Chilled Cucumber Soup
2. Goat Cheese-Stuffed Sardines With Mediterranean Flavors
3. Goat Cheese-Crusted Lamb Chops With Beets
4. Salad Digestive with Fried Goat Cheese and Raspberry-Walnut Vinaigrette
5. Goat Cheese Ice Cream With Fig Wontons and Port Wine Sauces

Ingredients (4 Servings)

• 12 Sardines
• 6 oz Chevre
• 1/4 C Lemon Zest, very finely chopped
• 3 Tbsp Parsley, Hachez
• 4 Tbsp Small Capers
• Salt and Pepper

Parsley Oil and Balsamic Reduction

• ¾ C Balsamic Vinegar
• ½ C Olive Oil
• 1 bunch Parsley

Polenta

• 3 C Coarse Ground Corn Meal
• 6 C Fumet (opt)
• 7 C Water
• ¼ C Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Spinach

• 4 C Packed Spinach Leaves, Cleaned
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

For the Tomato Fondue

• 400 g Tomatoes
• 30 g Shallots
• 1 cloves Garlic
• 2 tsp Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Procedure

Polenta

• Bring the fumet and water and oil to a boil, season so it is fairly salty, and whisk in the corn meal in an even stream. Do not let it get lumpy.
• Keep stirring until the corn meal is cooked and has a consistency like creamy mashed potatoes. Check seasoning and spread in a parchment-lined half-hotel pan. Refrigerate until set.
• Near service, heat and clean the grill.
• Turn out the polenta and cut out with a 3in. ring mold. Grill the polenta rings to get develop a crust on both sides and reserve for service.

Tomato Fondue

• Emonder tomatoes, squeeze out the pulp, and finely chop. Blend the pulp and strain.
• Sweat the shallots in a hot sautoir with the olive oil. When almost soft, paste and add the garlic.
• Add the tomatoes and tomato water to the sautoir and cook with a parchment lid until the moisture is gone.
• Keep hot for service.

Parsley Oil and Balsamic Reduction

• Blanch the parsley in boiling water for just seconds and shock in ice water.
• Squeeze the parsley dry, place in a blender, and cover with olive oil. Blend very thoroughly, strain through a cheesecloth and reserve.
• Place the balsamic vinegar in a saucepan and reduce at a simmer until syrupy. Cool and reserve.

Goat Cheese and Sardines

• Gut the sardines. Behead them. Spread them out with the skin up and press down on the board to facilitate removal of the spine. Pull out the spine starting at the head end and remove any pinbones.
• Mix the goat cheese, lemon, shallots and parsley.
• Stuff about half of the goat cheese mixture into the sardines and keep for service.

Service

• Heat oven to 500°F.
• Spread a thin layer of the goat cheese mixture between two slices of polenta and flash in the oven.
• In a hot pan, wilt the spinach.
• Place three sardines per order under the salamander until cooked through.
• Meanwhile, place a 3in. ring mold in the center of a plate. Layer starting with spinach, then the polenta, the tomato and finally the sardines.
• Garnish with tomato fondue topped with capers, and balsamic reduction with parsley oil. Serve.