As in title - do you have any favorite, simple preps? I have only bought frozen cod before, for use in fisherman’s stew (I grew up Midwest and have lived my life thereafter in the Southeastern US, so I ain’t no Mainer here).
What are tasty but pretty easy preps? It’s on sale (if $11/lb counts as “sale” here) and I got 3 pounds of it. All 4 kids are here this week.
TIA!
Fish pie. Cod, along with smoked haddock and a few prawns.
Google will find you many recipes. Like this one
Or. coat in flour, dip in egg and coat in porridge oats. Then bake. We usually have it with alioli.
My favourite use of cod is battered, deep fried and served with chips and mushy peas. But that’s a job for the chip shop, not at home.
I love cod. Here are three of my favorite preps - lemme know if any is of interest, and I’ll post the recipe.
Cod with Sweet Soy Dressing, Cod Baked with Spinach, Cod Poached with Tomatoes and Saffron
(post deleted by author)
Please!
Time: 10 minutes
2 tablespoons peanut or olive oil
2 cod fillets, about 3/8 pound each
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons mirin (or 2 tablespoons honey or sugar)
2 tablespoons vinegar (preferably black Chinese vinegar)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
Black pepper
6 cups mesclun, washed and dried.
Put a nonstick skillet that can be covered over high heat and add the oil; a minute later, add the fish and cover the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes and, in a separate bowl, combine the soy sauce, mirin, vinegar, sesame oil, about 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and 1/4 cup water. Carefully remove the cover and add liquid mixture. Cover again and turn the heat to medium. Cook until cod is done, about 3 minutes more. Turn off heat and let sit for a moment. Divide mesclun among 4 plates and top each portion with some fish and dressing. Grind black pepper over all and serve.
Yield: 4 servings.
I have a Vera Cruz-ish (RoTel, lime, green olives, capers)super simple recipe I can post if you are interested. Also a very excellent New England-style fish chowder.
I slice a fennel bulb or two into a buttered baking dish, then lay seasoned fillets on the fennel, then sprinkle with grape tomatoes, then drizzle evoo over the whole thing. Roast until the fennel is tender and the tomatoes have burst.
Cod doesnt have a ton of flavor of its own, so the fennel gives it some lovely anise notes that play nicely with the tomatoes.
I am not skilled at cooking fish (mom doesn’t eat it so I never learned to cook it), but cod is one of the few I like and this is my go-to. It’s an NYT recipe but this is a non-paywalled repost.
One-pan roasted fish with cherry tomatoes
I usually use a quart of tomatoes, and call that the vegetable for dinner.
If you want something more like breaded fish, this cracker crumb fish is also good and easy.
Cantonese Style steamed with ginger, scallions, soy sauce, and sesame oil
Indian Parsi style coated with green chutney and cooked en papillote in the oven or a steamer (Madhur jaffrey has an easier version where she pours the sauce over the fish in a baking dish, covers with foil, and bakes).
Simple fish curry — pick your cuisine (Thai is easiest imo, just need a can of good curry paste and two of coconut cream for your crowd).
There’s also an easy prep I had forgotten about till you asked — topped with buttery herbed breadcrumbs that crisp up nicely as the fish cooks
filet-o-fish
Simple, baked with a baste of lemon and butter. I let the sides sing.
I just made this last night with hake. A house favorite that works with any firm white fish. Easy and quick and the smell of roasting garlic (which I amp up) and tomatoes will make anyone hungry if they weren’t already.
My family lived on a boat when I was in high school, so I learned at a tender age how to cook all types of seafood. Cod is one of my least favorites, but the firm texture and mild flavor make it a good choice…I dont worry about overpowering the flavor with other things, and even non-fisheaters can usually enjoy it.
Yes! Cod (or haddock) baked with cherry tomatoes or in a tomato-saffron sauce (similar to a cioppino base) are two of my favorite preps.
Another easy preparation I like is baking the fish with a crust of toasted panko and grated Parmesan (or similar hard cheese). Sometimes I’ll add parsley flakes or fresh chopped parsley to the panko mixture. I coat the fish in olive oil before baking. When I am feeling fancy, I’ll add a couple slivers of butter on top of the fish filets.
IMO, cod is the poor man’s halibut in terms of firmness and mild flavor. So the possibilities are endless.
I think the relative thinness calls for panko-style fish and chips. It also works fell for ceviche-type dishes like Poisson Cru.
Gift link. I toast the panko first to my desired brown-ness, it doesn’t brown further in the oven.
Two other white fish I rarely see mentioned CUSK & HAKE. Cusk is what we usually served at my Dad’s restaurant for the F&C. We had Haddock ofc if anyone demanded it.
DIY tartar sauce is the best, isn’t it? If you have Duke’s mayo as the base, even better.
From today’s NYT cooking newsletter:
