I am lucky to have a lot of fishermen in my life which is why I rarely order fish in a restaurant. Nothing can beat the sweet smell and glistening flesh of freshly caught fish in any season. My good friend Tom stops fishing after Blackfish (one of my favorite fish) season is over but we have been talking about doing a Cod charter off Block Island this winter. Cod is so versatile and its mild flavor thrives with the simplest and freshest of seasonal ingredients like sautéed winter leeks, crunchy fennel or cabbage or kale.
A pound of cod fillets sprinkled with North Fork Sea Salt, ground pistachios and black pepper along with a generous drizzle of olive oil and some minced black olives makes for a satisfying dose of protein, accompanied by your favorite winter greens. The addition of cilantro or parsley that is peeking through the snow with add the finishing touch to a delicious, Trimmer Tuesday dinner.
Recipe
1 pound of fresh Cod filet divided into 4 portions (visit our friends at the Southold Fish Market)
2 tablespoons of EVOO
Pinch of North Fork Sea Salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup of ground pistachios
Mix the salt, pepper and pistachios in a bowl and spoon onto the filets. Drizzle with the olive oil and broil for 7 minutes or until the fish flakes but is still glistening. Remove and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Then serve atop your dressed salad.
For the salad
2 tablespoons of minced black olives
4 cups of your favorite greens mixed together (could be one cup of spinach, one cup of kale, one cup of fennel and one cup of radicchio)
1/2 cup of your favorite vinaigrette for tossing the greens
Fresh herbs (not strong herbs like Rosemary or Sage)
Mix the greens and add the vinaigrette in three parts or according to preference.
