Ingredients

Yields: 6

Directions

Tips

Fine-milled polenta cooks better than coarse. I always look for Italian cornmeal brands that carry finer mill than American ones.

You can prepare the polenta dough the day before. Just grill the polenta slices when you're ready to serve.

Count about 1 part of polenta to 3 parts of liquid.

Goat milk product has a different taste and is rich in folic acid which my doctor has just recommended to me. It's good for you and bring a change to your diet; it has a more easily digestible fat and protein content than cow milk. It's very common in countries like India where meat consumption is low, goat milk is an important daily food source of protein and calcium not available otherwise because of a lack of cow's milk. I use it in my savory panna cotta that I pair with a Beluga lentil relish; it's delicious. You can find fresh goat milk at Trader Joe's. If you don't have any, Whole Foods carries goat milk in cans. You can also get it online. One 12 oz can yields 1-1/4 cups. Otherwise you can always substitute with regular ricotta cheese and cow's milk with the same proportions.

I used pickled garlic so that it does not overpower the lemon caper sauce. If you don't mind a not-so-mild flavor, use fresh garlic.

You can use regular capers but I prefer non-pareil capers. They are native to the South of France. This variety has a sharp, piquant and briny aroma. I bought them in a specialty store but you can also find them online. I love using capers; they add a nice salty and sour note in sauces and salads.

How to obtain freshly grated parmesan powder: Cut up a chunk of parmesan and chop the morsels in a mini-food processor until it's a fine powder.

I always use homemade egg-free mayonnaise because of the vegetarians in the house. How to make your own vegenaise: In a food processor, combine 5 ounces of silken soft tofu (1/2 package), 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of mustard, 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, a dash of Tabasco sauce (optional) and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. Blend until smooth. Save the rest of the egg-free mayonnaise for your salad the day after.

I often use different sized circle cutters. I shaped my smoked salmon on wonton puffs with them. You can find circle cutters in any restaurant supply store or kitchen store like Smart and Final. As Anthony Bourdain would say, your food will look so much more elegant using these little tools (read Kitchen Confidential).

If you decide to serve them as an appetizer, you can cut the polenta into French fries-shaped strips using a carving vegetable knife and serve the lemon caper sauce on the side in a dipping-sauce bowl.