CSF week 2 brings COD

My second share of fish brings Gadus Morhua, otherwise known as Atlantic Cod.  I've heard conflicting opinions regarding the ease of filleting this fish.  After meticulously watching every move of the knife my uncle made last week, I thought I had built up the confidence to work the knife myself.  He reassured me that bigger fish like cod and haddock are an easier fish to work with.   I talked to a friend who disagreed, saying he preferred filleting smaller fish.  Regardless of which fish I was to receive, I knew I had to try to fillet it myself.  So again I trekked, cooler in hand to pick up my weekly share.  

And there he lay, gilled and gutted staring me in the eye, taunting me with his gaze.  With my new filleting knife in hand I got to work.  Never before had I seen a cod filleted before-- I used a little common sense and a few techniques I'd picked up last week, first removing the head and tail, then slowly pulling the flesh from the bone.        

 Let me emphasize the "slow" in the previous sentence.  With only one minor injury to my right index finger, I was very proud of my work.  Although it wasn't the cleanest knife work, at the end of the day, I got the job done.   

After cleaning up the fillets, removing any lingering bones and skin they were ready to be cooked!  Feeling proud of my amateur work and eager to taste the fresh catch, I decided to whip up a quick dinner right away.  I wanted to taste the fish in it's simplest form so I opted to use the grill. 


Seasoned Grilled Cod 
2 large cod fillets
~1 tbsp olive oil
cooking spray/extra olive oil
spices of choice (cayenne, crushed red pepper, garlic, dill)


This recipe really couldn't get any simpler.  The only issue is that most Atlantic flaky fish are fragile and will fall through the standard grill rack.   If you have a contraption with smaller grates, then use that, otherwise aluminum foil will suffice.  Which ever you choose, be sure to use ample non-stick spray or healthy oil so the fish doesn't stick... I'm speaking from experience here, I had a very messy clean up because I didn't spray enough!   Note: If you use spray, spray the equipment, not the fish and do it before you turn the grill on, that stuff is flammable!

Drizzle the fish with a little bit of oil then season it with spices of your choice.  I used the spices above but use which ever flavors you like. 

Cook the fish on medium heat on the grill with the lid closed.  Flip the fish when it starts to turn white, about 5-7 minutes.  If you are using foil, no need to flip, cook it for about 10 minutes or until the fish is tender and flakes with the touch of a fork.  

I also grilled zucchini and red onion chunks, seasoned with the same spices.  Flip the veggies when they start to soften and get some nice grill marks.  

We also cooked some cod in foil too.  Same spices with a little bit of sliced tomato on top.  No need to seal the foil, unless you want steamed fish.  The fish cooked in foil came out a little more tender and juicy because it trapped all the juices.  They were both great!    

Stay tuned because I have big plans for potato-fish cakes, spicy fish stew, and creamy fish florentine!