The other day when I was iat the market picking up a few things, I noticed that they had some beautiful fresh cod at the fish mongers. I so love fresh fish, especially when it's being sold just within hours of it being caught. I decided right then and there that I was going to buy some for our tea that night. I didn't dare tell Todd how much I paid for it. He would have had a fit. Let's just say that it cost me as much as it would have done to buy a nice beef roast . . . so it was quite pricey, but sometimes you just have to treat yourself, don't you think?
Freshness is everything when it comes to buying fish. It's really quite a pricey source of protein, so you certainly want to make sure that what you are buying is as fresh as possible. Never buy fish on a Monday . . . you can be pretty sure that any fish being sold on a Monday was caught several days prior to that, as fishing boats don't generally go out on a Sunday. Rule number one!
Fish which has just been caught should not smell overly fishy. If it smells really fishy, you can be sure that it is not fresh. Filleted fish should look wet and not at all dry in appearance. If it is unfilleted it should have bright clear eyes and it's gills should be a healthy red. If it has scales they should be intact and hot half rubbed off . . . and fish without scales should look shiny, almost like it has just come out of the water.
Such a nice piece of fish called for a really simple treatment. I whipped up a herby, cheesy spread which I slathered all over the top (which would also help to keep the moisture in the fish) and simply baked it in the oven at a high temperature. Within 15 minutes, we were ready to enjoy it with some potatoes, some frozen corn and some green beans.
It was tender. It was moist. It had a delicious flavor and we all enjoyed it immensely. I tried not to spoil the experience by thinking about how much I had paid for it . . . actually knowing it cost so much probably made me savour it all the more.
*Baked Cod with Garlic and Herbs*
Serves 4Printable Recipe
This is such a simple recipe and yielding well flavoured perfectly cooked fish with the delicious flavours of cheese, garlic and herbs. Fabulouly easy and quick.
2 lbs. cod fillets75g of good quality mayonnaise (1/3 cup)
(I used Hellman's Roasted Onion Mayonnaise)
60g freshly grated Parmigianno Regianno cheese (1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons each chopped fresh parsley and basil
1 medium clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat your oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7. Line a rimmed baking sheet with baking paper. Set aside.
Whisk together the mayonnaise, cheese, parsley, basil and garlic. Cut your fish into serving sized portions. Rinse and pat dry. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place onto the baking sheet leaving some space between each. Divide the mayonnaise mixture amongst the fillets, spreading it over each one to cover. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the fish is opague and flakes with the tines of a fork. If you don't think it is golden brown enough, you can pop it under the grill for several minutes. It should be perfectly cooked. Allow to stand for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.
