Red snapper in brodetto with polenta

Yield: 6 Servings
MMM

6 c Water cold      1 tb Butter unsalted
1 ts Salt      1 ea Bay leaf
1 1/2 c Cornmeal MMMMM------------------RED SNAPPER IN BRODETTO-----------------------      4 lb Red Snapper cleaned OR
4 lb Stripped Bass cleaned OR      4 lb Sea Bass cleaned OR
4 lb Monkfish cleaned      2 c Oil vegetable
1 c Flour all purpose      3/4 c Oil olive
1 c Onion finely chopped      1/2 c Scallion finely chopped -- white part only Salt
2 tb Paste tomato      1/4 c Vinegar red wine (or more)
3 c Water

hot Pepper (to taste) For Polenta: In a heavy saucepan combine water butter salt and bay leaf. Pour in cornmeal in a thin stream stirring constantly. Bring mixture to a simmer stirring constantly over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium low. Continue to stir over heat until mixture is smooth very thick and pulls away from sides of pan about 15 minutes. Cover and keep warm. For Red Snapper in Brodetto: With a cleaver cut each fish into 3 pieces leaving head and tail on. Heat vegetable oil in skillet to about 350 F. Dredge pieces of fish in flour shaking off excess. Cook turning once until lightly golden but not cooked through about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and set aside. In separate large skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and scallion and saute tossing until lightly golden about 5 minutes. Add fish in single layer and sprinkle with salt. Spoon tomato paste between pieces of fish and cook about 3 minutes shaking pan occasionally. Stir together vinegar and hot water and add to fish. Bring to boil then lower the heat and simmer uncovered 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully turn pieces of fish. Increase heat to medium high and continue to cook just until fish is cooked through about 10 minutes. Transfer fish and a mounded spoonful of polenta to warm serving plates. Boil sauce vigorously until slightly thickened and correct seasoning with salt pepper and a few drops of wine vinegar if needed. Pour over fish and serve immediately. Source: New York's Master Chefs Bon Appetit Magazine : Written by Richard Sax Photographs by Nancy McFarland : The Knapp Press Los Angeles 1985 Chef: Lidia Bastianich Felidia Restaurant New York