Cod and Slaw
I love cooking fish at home, but I realize not everyone does. As a nation, we only eat about fifteen pounds of fish each at home over a year. Yet if we eat at restaurants, we eat nearly three times that amount over the same period of time. Let’s make things easy with a few tips from a chef.
Purchasing:
• Always buy fresh.
• Buy from a trusted source.
• Make sure the fish smells like the sea, not fishy or sour.
• Buy fish displayed on ice.
• Fillets and steaks should look bright, shiny and firm, not dull or mushy.
• Whole fish should have moist, taut skin, clear eyes, and bright red gills.
• Keep fish cold while transporting home.
Storing:
As soon as you get home, unwrap the fish, pat it dry, and place into a Ziploc bag. Press out the air as you seal the bag. Place the bag on crushed ice over a tray, and then place the tray in the coldest part of the fridge. If you can, cook and eat it the fish the day you buy it.
Cooking:
If you’re pan frying, you will need a large, nonstick skillet and spatula for flipping the portions of fish while they are cooking. Pat dry each portion of fish. Lightly season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. You can sprinkle your fish with a little sugar. This is a restaurant trick to caramelize the exterior of the fish, giving it an attractive brown crust. Place your skillet on the stove over a medium to high heat, add your oil. The oil should just start to smoke when you add your portion of fish gently into the pan. The heat will immediately seal the fish and crisp the surface. You need a hot pan to do this.
Depending on the thickness of the fish, cook for one-and-a-half to two minutes on one side before gently turning over with your spatula. Cook for another two minutes. Press the flesh of the fish with your finger, it should be firm not mushy, which is under cooked, or hard, which is overcooked.
Remove the fish from the pan and place on plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess fat. This also slows down the cooking process as you have removed the heat from the pan.
Remember the fish will continue to cook as it rests, so serve as quickly as possible. Cook thick fillets five to six minutes on the first side. Reduce heat to medium and cook for another four to five minutes longer.
Hope these tips help. Now, get in the kitchen and knock out this easy nutritious dinner for the entire family.
Cod and Slaw
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 cup red cabbage, washed and finely shredded
1 cup carrots, washed and finely shredded
1 cup jicama, peeled washed and finely shredded
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 small jalapeño, minced
1 lime, zest and juice of
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon freshly chopped mint
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 4 oz portions of cod
How to make:
Take a large salad bowl and combine the first 9 ingredients, lightly toss together, and season with salt and pepper.
Take a large nonstick frying pan or skillet, place over a medium high heat on the stove. Add the oil, and season the cod portions on both sides before adding to the pan. Cook for 2 minutes then turn each piece over and continue to cook for another 2 minutes or until the cod is cooked to your liking.
To serve, place equal amounts of slaw on four joint plates and top with a portion of cod.