Tomato & Herb Sauced Alaskan Black Cod

 
We absolutely love fish in this house.  I have been preparing and cooking fish since I was a girl.  I used to make a dish I called Tomato Baked Haddock for my family when I was a teenager that my mother just loved.  It was a simple dish, with frozen haddock fillets being covered with a tin of tomatoes, undrained, salt and pepper, some chopped green pepper and onion, then baked in an oven until done.  Sometimes I added oregano. My mother always asked me to make it for her when I went home.  She said hers never tasted the same when she did it.  Funny how that goes . . .  it must have been the love I put into it. 
 
Fish and tomatoes are a beautiful flavor combination, especially when you add some herbs into the mix.  This recipe I am sharing today is simple . . .  simple ingredients, put together in a simple way  . . .   but with gorgeous results.  So gorgeous that I would serve it to company. 
 
Of course the basis for any good fish dish is really GOOD fish!   I cut the recipe in half as there are only two of us, but I started with some fabulous Alaskan Black Cod that I got from a company called The Fish Society.  All of their fish is Sashimi Grade, fresh and of an excellent quality. 
 
It arrives frozen and well packed, ready for you to thaw as and when you need it.  I've always been really impressed with the quality of their products.  Todd thinks it is the best fish he has ever eaten, and he has eaten a lot of fish in his lifetime! 
 
For this dish the fish is treated really simply.  Seasoned with salt and pepper  . . . 
 
and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice . . .  and then baked in a hot oven in  dish which you have drizzled with a tiny bit of olive oil  . . . 
  
Tightly covered with foil, it cooks in between 12 - 18 minutes . . .  until it is perfectly cooked.  
 
One thing you don't want to do with a really good piece of fish is to over-cook it and ruin it! There is nothing worse than dry overcooked fish! There is no coming back from that!
  
The sauce for this dish is a rif on my original tomato baked fish dish, except that the fish doesn't cook in the sauce . . .  the sauce complements the fish . . . 
   
Cherry tomatoes simmered with garlic and shallots  . . .  until they burst their skins . . . and the juices thicken up . . .
   
Butter is then whisked in a bit at a time until you end up with a rich velvety sauce  . . .  ready for the addition of fresh herbs . . . 
 
I use fresh basil, flat leaf parsley and chives  . . .  perfect, 1 TBS of each does the trick, but you can use whatever herbs you like, or even all one herb.  I think these three compliment each other and the fish perfectly! 
  
Just look at how perfectly cooked that fish is . . .  and how lovely that sauce looks.  I served this with some chive mash and spring English peas for the perfect fish supper.
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Tomato & Herb Sauced Alaskan Black Cod

Yield: 4 - 6
Author: Marie RaynerIf you like moist, tender, flaky and flavourful cod, you will love this dish!  Perfectly baked fish with a delicious buttery sauce. TO DIE FOR!

ingredients:

For the fish:

• 2 - 2 1/2 pounds fresh cod fillets (sustainably sourced) cut into serving portions
• 1 lemon
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil to drizzle

For the Sauce:

• 1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 300g cherry tomatoes (2 cups)
• 120ml chicken stock (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4 tsp crushed chili flakes
• pinch sugar
• 4 TBS cold butter, cut into bits
• 1 TBS each chopped fresh parsley, basil and chives

instructions:

How to cook Tomato & Herb Sauced Alaskan Black Cod

1. Preheat the oven to 200*C/4))*F/ gas mark 4.  Drizzle a baking dish large enough to hold the fish in one layer with some olive oil and place it into the oven to heat.
2. Begin making  the sauce.  Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened without browning.  Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, salt, pepper flakes and sugar.  Simmer until the tomatoes break down and burst, releasing their juices, and the sauce has thickened somewhat with most of the stock having evaporated.  Whisk in the butter, bit by bit, until you have a thick velvety sauce.  Stir in the herbs, cover and set aside, keeping it warm.
3. Remove the baking dish from the oven.  Place the fish into the dish, skin side down.  Season generously with salt and black pepper.  Squeeze the lemon juice over all. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and return to the oven.  Bake for 12 to 18 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with the tines of a fork. (Time depends on the thickness of your fish.)
4. Remove from the oven and place on a heated serving platter, spooning the sauce over and around.  Serve immediately.

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Every time I taste this lovely fish I ask myself why don't we eat it more often than we do. It is just excellent excellent fish. Quality speaks for itself.  The Fish Society has all kinds of fish, fish that you normally won't find in the shops. Its like having your own private fish monger on line and on tap!  They have everything from Abalone to Zander and they deliver right to your door in a timely manner.  Shell fish.  Sea food.  All Sashimi grade.  I have never been disappointed, as Todd says, best fish ever. One of these days I am going to get me some red snapper.   I first tried that at my in-laws years ago and have been dreaming about it ever since. Watch this space!