Photo credit: © Eatwell101.comIf you’re looking for a quick and easy family dish, this seared cod fillet is a lifesaver at the end of a long weekday. It’s one of those kind of dish where everything combines just perfectly. Cod, basil, garlic and butter lay on a bed of crunchy summer vegetables for an elegant but family-friendly dinner. Hint: works also for a romantic dinner for 2!
Ingredient list for the cod fillets
Serves 4:
- 4 cod fillets, with skin on, or without skin.
- Olive oil
- Salt
- 4 basil leaves
- 1 clove of garlic, unpeeled
- 1/2 oz (15g) butter, diced
For vegetables
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 2 small zucchini
- 1 onion
- 1/2 bulb of fennel
- Salt and ground pepper
- Olive oil
- A few basil leaves
Directions
The vegetable garnish:
1. Wash, trim and seed the vegetables. Cut them into strips or sticks. keep them in separate bowls or plates and sprinkle with salt and ground pepper.
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a wok or a skillet. Brown the onion and let it melt over medium heat, stirring with a spatula. Push the onion on the side, add the fennel and cook for 1 minute over high heat.
3. Push the fennel on the side of the skillet. Add the peppers and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the zucchini and stir everything together. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add the basil leaves and adjust the seasoning. Keep the vegetable aside.
The fish:
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the pan.
2. Salt the fish on the flesh side and stick a basil leaf on each side. Sprinkle with a drizzle of olive oil. Sear the fillet, flesh side on the pan.
3. Turn the cod fillets skin side after 2 minutes. Add the cloves of garlic (unpeeled) and 1/3 of butter. Cook over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes.
4. Add the remaining butter and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, basting fish regularly with melted butter. Cover and cook for 1 minute more.
Plating:
Fill food presentation rings with vegetables. You can also use a round cookie cutter. Place a cod fillet on top.
For the reduction of balsamic vinegar:
1. In a small non-stick pan, reduce 7 tbsp (100ml) balsamic vinegar for 3-4min.
2. Stop the cooking when the vinegar forms large bubbles and gets a syrupy consistency. Mix with non-reduced balsamic vinegar and garnish your dish. You can keep this reduction in a small bowl or cup and heat for a few seconds in the microwave before using.
