Cod is a meaty and flaky white fish, which I love. Often used in “Fish and Chips” recipes, Cod, also known as Haddock is great for stews, roasting, grilling and pan searing. Cod is the only fish used for the famed Portuguese dish Bacalhau, which is dried and salted first, then soaked in water several times before cooking in white wine and spices. The Cubans and Italians also have their version of Bacaloa often cooked with potatoes and onions. This dish is a twist using potatoes as soup and a base to hold up the fish in your bowl or plate.
Cod
2 8oz Cod Filleted with skin on
½ Cup of Light Olive Oil
2 Teaspoon white Pepper
2 Teaspoon Kosher salt
1 Teaspoon ground cumin
Soup
3 medium Idaho or Russet Potatoes peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces
1 Large Spanish onion, sliced thin
4 garlic cloves peeled, crushed
1 Tablespoon Turmeric
½ Cup of whole milk
4 Tablespoon sweet butter
Salt and White pepper to taste
Method:
1. Coat both Filets with a Tablespoon of olive oil and spices. With a sharp knife, make two slits in the middle of the fish on the skin side. One inch in length and one inch apart from each other. Try not to go farther past the skin. Wrap in plastic wrap and Set inside the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
2. Add potatoes, ½ of the raw sliced onion (reserve the other half), garlic and salt to a medium sauce pot. Cover with cold water above potatoes by two inches. Stir to help distribute salt and Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 10-15 minutes or when potatoes just start to break apart. Test with a knife of fork. (Do not overcook)
3. While water is heating, Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
4. Take fish out of refrigerator and pat dry the skin side only with a towel. Set aside on a plate skin side up.
5. While potatoes are still cooking, add the 1 Tablespoon of butter to a sauté pan and slowing cook the rest of the onion until brown. Take onion out of pan and Set aside when done. Keep the same pan for cooking the fish in. (Do not wash pan after cooking onion)
6. When potatoes are done, drain water reserving ½ Cup of the water. Take about 8 pieces of potato and set aside. While the rest of the potatoes, garlic, onion and ½ cup hot water are still hot in pot. Add turmeric, salt, pepper, 2 Tablespoons of butter, milk and blend with hand blender until smooth. Set aside and keep warm.
7. Add the rest of olive oil to the pan that you cooked the onion in. Heat oil just before the oil begins to smoke. Add fish skin side down. Use a spatula to hold fish down to help create a crisp skin for approximately one minute. Place pan on lower rack in oven un-covered skin side down and bake for five –seven minutes.
8. When fish is done. Turn off oven and remove fish with spatula and blot the reserved oil off the skin of the fish. Set aside and keep warm.
9. Add the last of the butter to the same pan the fish was cooked in. Sauté the reserved potatoes and caramelized onions in the pan until hot and combined approximately 30 seconds. Divide soup into two bowls and divide potato mixture in the middle of soup. In each bowl add the cod flesh side down on-top of the potato. Garnish
Cooking Notes: A seasoned pan also contributes to the depth in flavor to a dish. Finding cod with skin on may be challenging. If you know your local fish monger or supermarket sells cod, you can call them and ask them to reserve one pound for you with skin on. Placing a couple of small slits in the skin of fish, helps keep the fish down to create a crisp skin. Turmeric gives the soup that beautiful fall look and happens to be very healthy. I used some fennel top and julienne carrots to garnish my fish. Use your imagination from Julienne red peppers, celery leaves, even some nice slices of Avocado.
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