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! 

CSF= baked stuffed sole :)

Happy 4th to you!!  It was a great holiday weekend, lots of cookouts and very little cooking in.  So I'll pick up where I last left off... I had just received my first Community Supported Fishery (CSF) share from the Cape Ann Fresh Catch at the Cape Ann Farmer's Market.  Cape Ann Fresh Catch boasts "Local, Sustainably-caught, wicked-fresh fish direct to you"-- cutting out the middle man so all proceeds go directly to the fisherman.  The CSF promises a wide variety of North Atlantic fish including Cod, Haddock, Whiting, Monkfish, and Pollock.  Just two days before my pick-up I read an article in Edible Boston written by Roz Cummins, in which she pointed out some of the flaws of the CSF last summer, one of which being the lack of variety, stating "By the end of the summer I had eaten enough cod to last a lifetime." 
I started to question if this was maybe the wrong decision but being the optimist I am, I headed to the market cooler in tow anxious and excited to receive my first share.  My first pick-up included 5 whole Grey Sole fish, a nice and unexpected surprise.   It's very thin, mild-flavored white fish, and an intimidating fish for my first lesson on filleting.  The fish weren't very big either, only making the task more challenging.  Luckily my Uncle Danny was kind enough to offer his knifing skills and fillet it as I watched.  First he trimmed off the fins and tail, then cleaned each fish to the bone. 

Despite the small size of the fish, I was pleased with the amount of fish we got after filleting.  I rinsed the fish and got to work.  Let me preface this recipe by saying, it is a VERY RARE occasion you will read the word BUTTER in my blogs.  I am a little butter-phobic but there are just some occasions where substitutions just won't due.  And really, what kind of life would this be with no butter or full fat cheese??  Sometimes you just have to splurge and enjoy the finer things in life.  And white fish is a very healthy source of protein, so it's okay to use rich ingredients every now and again, especially when cooking with a lean meat like sole.  But do embrace this butter-loving moment, because they are few and far between. 

Baked Stuffed Sole (serves 6)
Ingredients:
About 2 lbs fresh Sole (rinse in cold water & pat dry)
4 tbsp butter
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
1/2 large Vidalia onion, chopped

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Melt the butter in a large skillet on medium heat.  Next add the onions.  When the onions start to soften and become translucent add the Ritz cracker crumbs, mix and cook for a minute or two. 

Grease a 9x13 baking dish with a little butter (that's right, MORE butter... about a teaspoon) so the fish doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.  Layer the fish in the dish.  If the fish has skin, layer it skin-side down.  Once the fish is cooked, the skin will come right off, but you can eat the skin too if you'd like.  Then spread the cracker crumb mixture evenly atop the fish. 

Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes.  It is done when the fish flakes with the touch of a fork.

Drizzle with a little lemon juice and serve with a fresh ear of corn on the cob and you have a deliciously local and sustainable New England meal! 

 Note the little morsel of fried fish on my plate... there was some left over sole that my mom decided to make into real fish sticks.  She coated the fish with a layer of flour, dipped it in egg, coated with another layer of flour and fried in a shallow pan of canola oil.  I had to try it and they were WAY better than anything you'd find in the freezer section!  Stay tuned throughout the summer for weekly local fish recipes!