James Beard's New Fish Cookery (10 page)

BROILED CODFISH

Broil either steaks or fillets according to the directions on pages 9–10.

BROCHETTES OF COD ITALIAN

Cut 2 to 3 pounds of cod into small cubes about 11/2 to 2 inches square. Alternate them on skewers with mushroom caps. Sprinkle them with salt and freshly ground black pepper, dip in flour, brush with butter or egg yolks, and roll in crumbs. Then sauté them quickly in oil or butter according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 10) or until they are nicely browned on all sides. Serve with a rich tomato sauce (page 23) and risotto.

SAUTÉED COD

Either steaks or fillets may be used. Follow the directions on page 10. Serve with your favorite sauce.

COD SAUTÉ, INDIAN STYLE

1 large onion, chopped

1/3 cup olive oil

1 clove garlic

Freshly ground black pepper

Sweet basil

1 large eggplant, peeled and diced

11/2 cups rice, cooked

6 to 8 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped

Salt

2 pounds cod fillets

Flour

Curry powder

Butter
or
oil

Tomato sauce
or
parsley butter

Heat the olive oil and sauté the onion. Add the garlic and tomatoes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and basil. Cook for 10 minutes and add the eggplant. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, or until the eggplant is tender and the tomatoes cooked down.

Cut the cod fillets into strips 2 inches wide and roll them in flour and curry powder. Sauté them quickly in butter or oil according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 10).

Make a ring of the rice on a large platter, heap the fish in the center, and make a border of the tomatoes and eggplant. Serve with a tomato sauce (page 23) flavored with more curry powder, or parsley butter (page 33) with curry added.

CODFISH STEAKS IN WINE

4 cod steaks, 1 inch thick

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

11/2 cups white wine

6 tablespoons butter

Chopped parsley

Lemon slices

Arrange the steaks in a baking dish, season to taste, and cover with white wine. Let them soak in the refrigerator for several hours.

When ready to cook, dot the steaks heavily with butter and bake at 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8). Baste often during the cooking process. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and garnish with lemon slices. Serve with small artichoke hearts and fresh peas.

BAKED COD

Cod may be baked in any of the ways given for striped bass or halibut (see pages 269 and 125).

BAKED STUFFED COD

1 whole cod (2 to 4 pounds)

Lemon

6 green onions, chopped

1/4 cup minced celery

1/4 cup minced green pepper

5 tablespoons butter

11/2 cups bread crumbs

1/2 pint oysters and liquor

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon thyme

Butter or bacon fat

Clean and split the fish. Rub the interior with lemon.

Sauté the onions, celery, and green pepper in butter until just tender. Add the crumbs, the oysters and their liquor, and cook for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the parsley and season to taste with salt, pepper, and thyme. Stuff the fish with this mixture, secure it with toothpicks and string, and place it in an oiled baking dish. Season with salt and pepper, dot with butter or bacon fat, and bake at 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8).

Serve with lemon butter (page 31) or with sauce béchamel (page 23) to which you have added onion and parsley.

NEW ENGLAND TURKEY

This is one of the truly authentic American dishes.

Clean and split a whole cod and stuff it with your favorite bread stuffing. Sew it up or secure it with toothpicks and string. Arrange it in an oiled baking dish in an S-shaped design. Cover with strips of salt pork from head to tail and bake at 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8). Baste with the pan juices during the cooking.

Remove to a hot platter, garnish with plain boiled potatoes and green peas, and serve with an egg or parsley sauce (both page 24).

COD IN THE FASHION OF THE BAKER

For this recipe you may use either a medium-sized whole fish or a large center cut of cod.

Steam 12 to 18 small potatoes in butter until almost tender. Brown 12 small white onions in butter, cook until nearly done. Clean the fish, arrange it in a greased baking pan, and sprinkle it with salt, freshly ground black pepper, thyme, and powdered bay leaf. Surround it with the potatoes and onions and pour over it the melted butter in which the vegetables were cooked. Bake at 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8), basting every 5 minutes with the pan juices. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon slices.

BAKED COD WITH CREAM

Use either a whole fish or a large center cut.

Clean the fish, place it on an oiled baking pan, and dot heavily with butter. Add 1 cup of fish broth or chicken broth. Season to taste and bake at 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8). Baste often with the pan juices. Arrange the fish on a hot platter and surround it with a ring of sautéed potatoes.

Thicken the pan juices with beurre manié (page 475) and add 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Pour the sauce over the fish.

POACHED COD

In Norway poached cod is usually cooked in salt water and served with an egg sauce and boiled potatoes, and always with red wine.

You may poach a whole fish, a center cut, steaks, or fillets. Wrap the fish in cheesecloth and poach in boiling salted water or in a court bouillon (page 18) according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 12). Serve with lemon butter (page 31), Hollandaise sauce (pages 25–26), or an egg sauce made by adding chopped hard-cooked egg and a bit of sherry to sauce béchamel (page 23).

CODFISH CUSTARD

11/2 teaspoons cornstarch

11/2 cups milk

2 eggs, well beaten

1/4 cup melted butter

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

11/2 pounds cod, poached and flaked

Dissolve the cornstarch in the milk, add the eggs, butter, seasonings to taste, and the fish. Pour into a buttered casserole and bake at 350° for about 40 minutes, or until the custard is not quite set in the middle. This is a Rhode Island dish and is often served with their native johnnycake.

COD LOAF

2 cups cooked, flaked cod

1/4 cup each chopped onion, celery, green pepper

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 cup sifted toasted crumbs

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon tarragon

2 eggs, separated

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup melted butter

Combine the fish, vegetables, nuts, parsley, crumbs, salt, pepper, and tarragon. Beat the egg yolks and add them to the mixture with the milk and melted butter. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites and pour into a buttered mold or pan. Set in a pan of hot water and bake at 375° for about 40 minutes, or until set. Unmold on a hot plate and serve with egg sauce (page 24) or Hollandaise sauce (pages 25–26).

COD FLORENTINE

Poach 1 fillet of cod for each serving in boiling salted water. Arrange the poached fillets on a bed of chopped cooked spinach lightly flavored with nutmeg. Top with sauce Mornay (page 22), sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, and run under the broiler for a few minutes to brown.

COLD POACHED COD

Cold poached cod is delicious if it is firm and not overcooked. Serve it with mayonnaise, sauce gribiche (pages 36–37), sauce rémoulade (page 35), tartar sauce (pages 35–36), or Russian dressing (page 35).

If you wish to serve the fish in aspic, follow the directions on pages 18–20.

Salt Cod

My favorite codfish dishes are based on the salt cod. In preparing salt cod, it is always necessary, of course, to remove the salt. There are two ways to do this. You may soak the fish for several hours; or you may cover it with cold water, bring the water to a boil very slowly, and then rinse the fish in cold water. Here are recipes that demonstrate the versatility of the salt cod.

POACHED CODFISH WITH VARIOUS SAUCES

Soak 1 pound of salt codfish in cold water for 4 hours. Rinse the fish thoroughly. Place it in a skillet or shallow saucepan and cover it with cold water. Bring slowly to a boil and let it boil feebly for about 15 minutes. Remove the fish to a hot platter and surround with plain boiled potatoes sprinkled with parsley. Serve with:

1. Melted butter

2. Parsley sauce (page 23)

3. Hollandaise sauce (pages 25–26)

4. Egg sauce (page 23)

CODFISH BÉCHAMEL

1 pound salt codfish

2 cups sauce béchamel (page 23)

Chopped parsley

Toast fried in olive oil

Soak the codfish in cold water for 4 hours. Remove, rinse, place in cold water, and bring to a boil very slowly. Taste for tenderness; the fish may have to simmer for a few minutes. Remove the fish from the water and cut into small pieces or flake with a fork. Combine with sauce béchamel and serve hot over fried toast. Sprinkle with parsley. Plain boiled potatoes are a natural accompaniment.

VARIATIONS

1. Prepare the codfish béchamel as above and pour into a flat baking dish or gratin dish. Sprinkle with buttered crumbs and grated Gruyère cheese and place under the broiler for a few minutes.

2. Sauté 1 medium onion in 4 tablespoons butter; when it is just light-colored, add 1 tablespoon curry powder and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Combine with the cooked codfish and season to taste — possibly you may want additional curry. Serve with rice. French-fried onion rings, very crisp, are good with this.

3. Combine 1 cup of grated Cheddar or Gruyère or Swiss cheese with sauce béchamel and mix well with the codfish. Pour into a flat baking dish or gratin dish and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Run under the broiler for a few minutes. Serve accompanied by plain boiled potatoes with butter and parsley.

4. Sauté 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms, 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion, and 4 tablespoons chopped parsley and combine with the fish. Mix with the sauce béchamel and serve in patty shells or in a large vol-au-vent. (This is an overgrown patty shell. You may order one from a good French baker if you wish to serve something spectacular.)

5. Sauté 1/2 cup blanched shredded almonds in 4 tablespoons butter until crisp and brown. Combine with the fish and sauce béchamel. Serve with large baked potatoes topped with paprika.

6. Add 4 sliced hard-cooked eggs and 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley to the sauce béchamel after combining with the fish. Add to this 1 tablespoon paprika and blend well. Serve with buttered noodles.

ARMENIAN CODFISH

1 pound salt codfish

8 tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped

6 tablespoons oil

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Vinegar

6 green peppers cut in julienne

5 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons oil

Put the fish to soak in cold water for 4 hours. Combine the tomatoes with the oil and let them cook down to a paste. Add salt and pepper to taste and a touch of vinegar to cut the oil. Sauté the peppers in butter until tender.

When the fish has soaked, rinse it and put it in a skillet with cold water and bring to a boil. Drain off the water, add 4 tablespoons of oil, and sauté the fish according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 10). Serve on the tomato paste topped with the sautéed peppers. Pass rice and additional tomato sauce, if you wish.

CODFISH, SPANISH STYLE

1 pound salt codfish

2 medium onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 green peppers cut in julienne

1/2 cup olive oil

6 to 8 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

Beurre manié (page 475)

Pimientos, chopped

Parsley, chopped

Toast points, fried in olive oil

Soak the codfish in cold water, rinse, and poach according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 12). Brown the onions, garlic, and pepper in the olive oil. When tender, add the tomatoes and a little of the fish broth. Thicken with beurre manié. Let it cook down for 1/2 to 1 hour, add the pieces of codfish and the pimientos, and heat again. Serve in a flat dish topped with chopped parsley and garnished with fried toast points.

CODFISH SOUFFLÉ

11/2 cups flaked salt codfish

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

Nutmeg

Freshly ground black pepper

4 egg yolks, beaten

6 egg whites

Sauce béchamel (page 23) or Hollandaise (pages 25–26)

Soak the codfish in cold water, rinse, and poach according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 12). Flake into shreds.

Combine the butter and flour in a saucepan; when they are well blended, gradually add the milk, stirring until it is thickened. Season with a little nutmeg and black pepper. Add the egg yolks, blend well, and add the codfish. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the mixture. Pour into a buttered soufflé dish and bake at 375° for 35 to 45 minutes or until puffy and brown. Serve with a béchamel or Hollandaise sauce — and forget you ever ate a fish cake.

FRIED CODFISH STRIPS

1 pound filleted salt codfish

Flour

Freshly ground black pepper

Fat for frying

Tartar sauce (pages 35–36)

Soak the codfish in cold water for several hours. Rinse and cut in diagonal strips about 1 to 11/2 inches wide. Roll in flour, sprinkle with pepper, and fry in deep fat at 375°. Drain on absorbent paper and serve hot with tartar sauce.

CODFISH LYONNAISE

Naturally the combination of onion and codfish is elegant. So it is not surprising that there should be a Lyonnaise version, for the traditional dishes of that city use onions a great deal.

1 pound salt codfish

6 medium potatoes, sliced

2 medium onions, sliced

Butter
or
oil

Chopped parsley

Soak the codfish in cold water for several hours. Sauté the potatoes and onions as you would for Lyonnaise potatoes. Flake the codfish and brown it nicely in butter or oil; combine with the potato-onion mixture and let it cook down for a few minutes. Sprinkle generously with chopped parsley. This is a wonderful Sunday breakfast dish.