| Seared Cod with Sun-dried Tomatoes |
|
Cod is completely lean. This makes it a healthy choice of fish for
everyday meals. It has big moist flakes, but is not particularly
lucious or tender. However, it is possible to make cod mouth
watering for those special occasions when calories don't count.
The secret ingredient is the bacon. In this recipe, cod is wrapped
in bacon and seared. This makes it moist, tender, and a bit smoky. I
discard bacon before serving since it overpowers the fish (for
my taste), but you can leave it on. Wines: Côtes du Rhone red Sides: mashed potatoes and spinach |
| Serves 4 |
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| Ingredients | Directions |
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3 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp salt 1/8 tsp black pepper 1 Tbsp chopped herbs (like dill, parsley, or cilantro) 4 thick 8oz cod pieces (at least 1" thick) |
Mix oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and herbs in a non-reactive container. Add cod pieces and coat in the marinade. |
|
8 strips of bacon 8 wooden toothpicks (without plastic tops) |
Wrap 2 pieces of bacon parallel to each other around each piece of cod, and secure them with toothpicks. |
|
8 garlic cloves peeled |
Set a large skillet on med-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the cod and whole garlic cloves. Cover the pan and cook for 4 minutes. Turn the garlic as the fish cooks so that it browns nicely, but does not burn (about every 2 minutes). Turn the fish and cook covered on the other side for 4 minutes or until it is opaque. Remove the fish to a plate and cover to keep warm. Leave the garlic in the pan. |
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1/3 cup fish stock or water 1/3 cup dry white wine 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes 1 Tbsp chopped herbs (like rosemarie, sage, or thyme) 2 Tbsp softened butter |
Turn up the heat to high, and add fish stock, wine, sun-dried tomatoes and herbs to the pan. Reduce to half scrapping up the bits in the pan to deglaze (about 3 minutes). While the liquids are reducing, remove bacon from cod. Take the pan off heat and swirl in the butter. Pour over cod and serve. |