Thursday, March 10, 2011

Day #67 - Boston Baked Cod

I have always been a little hesitant about buying fish. I stick to the ones I know and trust - usually salmon and halibut. But when I saw these awesome looking cod fillets at Costco - I couldn't resist and bought a bag. Jim's chef skills are really being put to the test this week with new recipes. The cod was cooked perfectly and tasted great!


Ingredients:

TOPPING:
2 slices high-quality sandwich bread, such as Pepperidge Farm, quartered
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Baked Cod:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 medium shallot, minced
1 small clove garlic, minced very fine
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
2 skinless cod fillets (each about 1 pound), cut in half crosswise


Directions:

To make the topping: Adjust one oven rack to the upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heat source) and the second rack to the middle position; heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Pulse the bread in the workbowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade until processed into fairly even 1/4-inch pieces about the size of Grape-Nuts cereal, about ten 1-second pulses.

Spread the crumbs evenly on a rimmed baking sheet; toast on the lower rack, shaking the pan once or twice, until golden brown and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes.Toss together the bread crumbs, parsley, salt, and pepper in a small bowl; set aside.

To make the cod: Increase the oven setting to broil. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat until the foaming has subsided. Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallot and garlic and saute until slightly softened, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat, add the lemon juice, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and swirl to incorporate. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Season the cod liberally with salt and pepper. Fold the thin tailpieces in half to increase their thickness. Place the fillets in a shallow 9 by 13-inch casserole dish and pour the melted butter mixture over. Broil until the fish is completely opaque when gently flaked with a paring knife, 14 to 15 minutes. Baste the fish with the pan drippings and top with the bread crumbs. Continue broiling until the crumbs are golden brown, about 1 minute. Using a metal spatula, transfer the fish to individual plates and pour the basting juices around the edges of the fish (not on top, or the bread crumbs will become soggy). Serve immediately.

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