Friday, June 3, 2011

Crispy Cod Steak with Orange Sauce

I was planning on making scallops (too expensive!), or Tilipia (on sale but didn't look that good). Then I saw the Cod which was also on sale and it just looked better. I had no idea what I was going to make but was sure I could find an easy recipe. That is when I checked the Mark Bittman, How to Cook Everything App. This was so easy and really delicious.  I made some Angel Hair pasta and fresh peas as sides.

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour (I used a lot less)
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
4 small cok steaks
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
chopped basil for garnish

Steps:
  1. Heat the oven to 200°F. Heat a large skillet over medium heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Season the flour with the salt, lots of black pepper, and the cayenne if you like.
  2. When the skillet is hot, add the butter and olive oil. When the butter foam subsides, dredge each steak in the flour, shaking off the excess. Put them in the skillet and turn the heat up to medium‐high. Cook, rotating the steaks so they brown evenly and turning after about 4 minutes. Cook for another 3 minutes or so, then check: The fish is done when a thin‐bladed knife meets little resistance and little or no translucence appears in the center. Cook it for a minute or two longer if necessary, then transfer to a plate and transfer to the oven.
  3. Add the shallot to the pan and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan until the shallot begins to crisp, just a minute or so. Add the zest and juice, raise the heat until the mixture bubbles, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it reduces and becomes syrupy, about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve each steak with a spoonful of sauce and garnish with fresh basil or mint.
The recipe also listed some good variations which I will most likely be trying. This was one of the first apps I purchased and other than Scrabble it is the most used!

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