Jackson Cod Florentine

This is a hearty baked Cod dish with a velvety white wine glaze. The umami of the mushrooms pairs nicely with the sweet tang of grape tomatoes, and the zing of capers and baked lemons, which punctuate the ever lightness of the underlying Cod. Laying on a bed of soft cooked spinach, this dish has layers and layers of flavor, both rich and subtle, and is sure to please a crowd.

1-1/2 lb button mushrooms, sliced

2 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil

2 lb Cod, thickest Captain’s cuts (I used New Zealand LingCod)

1 lb fresh baby spinach

2 dozen grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise

2 lemons

1 rounded Tbsp capers

Palmful parsley, minced for garnish

White wine sauce:

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced in a press

3/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup water

1 tsp chicken Better than Bouillon

1/2 cup whole milk plus 1 Tbsp corn starch

Preheat an oven to 375F.

Melt the butter in the olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté the mushrooms in the butter over medium-high heat until they release what water they will. Continue cooking until all the water is evaporated and the mushrooms have browned a bit. Set aside.

Sauté the spinach leaves in a dash of olive oil in the same skillet, until wilted. Remove to a sieve or colander and allow to drain.

Prepare the wine sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the shallot and cook 3-5 minutes over medium heat, stirring often. Add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring often.

Add the wine and bring to a gentle boil. Allow to reduce about in half. Add the water and bouillon and return to a gentle boil. Whisk the cornstarch into the milk. Whisk into the boiling sauce and continue whisking until the sauce thickens. Reduce heat to lowest simmer and stir every once in a while.

Oil a 9x13-inch casserole. Distribute the spinach about the bottom of the casserole evenly.

Lay the fish fillets on top.

Slice the first lemon into 6 thick slices. Cut two more thick slices from the second lemon. Cut the remaining lemon into wedges for serving.

Scatter the mushrooms over the fish.

Then pour sauce over the fish. Top the dish with the tomatoes, capers and then the lemons.

Bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes, or until the center of the fish reaches a temperature of 145F.

Remove dish from oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 6.

Comments

Umami Beef Short Ribs Samin Nosrat

This is the penultimate prep for beef short ribs. Based on the superb documentary by Samin Nosrat, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, this is the most umami rib dish you will ever have. Its the combination of red miso and soy sauce that marinates and flavors the beef - give it a long time to work right - that means overnight in the fridge; it's worth the planning ahead. 6 beef short ribs on the bone, about 3-4 lb 1 large sweet yellow onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 1 jalapeño pepper, minced 4 cloves garlic, halved Marinade: 1/4 cup red miso 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup pale dry sherry or Mirin rice wine 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp honey 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt the ribs generously with coarse salt and let rest overnight in the refrigerator in a resealable plastic bag. Whisk together the marinade. Pour into the plastic bag and allow to marinate on the counter for about 2-3 hours, or again overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat...

Haddock Roasted with Aioli and Tomatoes

This is a simple yet suculent way to roast fish. Here I use haddock, but you could use most any fish including cod or tilapia, or as I did on the west coast, wild-caught Rockfish (delicious). The tomatoes offer a fresh flavor complement to the fish slathered with a rich aioli topping. This is a quick, easy way to prepare fish on a busy weeknight. 1-1/2 lb haddock fillet (Captain’s cut preferred - thicker), patted dry Aioli: 1/4 cup good real mayonnaise 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp favorite hot sauce 1 pint grape tomatoes 1/2 tsp dried dill weed Fresh parsley, minced, for garnish Lemon wedges for garnish Preheat oven to 375F. Oil a medium baking dish (about 7x10-inch). Lay haddock fillet in dish. Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard and hot sauce in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, cover the fillet evenly with the aioli sauce. Toss the tomatoes with a dash of olive oil and scatter them over the fish. Season with dill and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Bake fish for about 20 mi...

'Back-of-the-bag' King Arthur Oatmeal Bread

This is one of the best loaves of bread I have ever made, based on a famous recipe. Friends swear about King Arthur recipes, and now I do too. I only modified King Arthur's recipe slightly, adding the yolk of the egg I used for the eggwash on the crust. Goes great with a big pot of bean soup. And it toasts up so nicely - aroma therapy for the whole house! 3-1/4 to 3-1/2 cups bread flour 1 cup old fashioned oats 2 tsp active dry yeast 2 Tbsp honey 1-1/2 tsp salt 2 Tbsp butter, finely diced 1 egg yolk 1-1/4 cup lukewarm (about 100F) milk 1 egg white plus 1 Tbsp water about 1/4 cup old fashioned oats for topping Mix ingredients to a firm but still tacky dough. You’ll have to adjust the final amount of dough to the humidity of your kitchen and flour - err on the sticky side for a lighter, moister loaf. Knead dough 5 minutes. Roll dough around in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise an hour. ...

Cuisine Eric

Search This Blog