poached fish

I grew up in a family that loved to fish so we ate fish often…freshwater fish like coho, lake trout, perch, bluegill. Most often fish was pan fried, deep fried, or occasionally baked or broiled. Fish soup (kalamojakka) and fish boils were also enjoyed regularly. In this house we love fish, and we love all things tomato, so this poached cod is the perfect combination of the two. I’ve been making this dish for a long time and used to serve it over rice, but the last few times I’ve served it with grits instead. Kind of reminiscent of shrimp and grits. Poached fish is very moist and the broth adds flavor without added fat. Excellent choice if you’re watching calories. Regardless of how it’s prepared, fish cooks quickly making it a perfect dinner when time is short.

Ingredients:

Cod filets (approximately a pound and a half)

2 pints diced tomatoes

1 T olive oil

1/2 cup diced onion

1/4 cup diced bell pepper

2 cloves garlic minced

1-2 T capers

1-2 T sliced kalamata olives

1 T dried oregano

2 tsp pepper flakes (more or less depending on personal preference)

salt and pepper to taste

fresh parsley for garnish

Prepping all of your ingredients beforehand makes cooking go smoother and faster.

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pan over medium high heat and sauté the onions and peppers for 3-4 minutes until they are tender. Stir in the garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, and salt to taste and sauté an additional minute or so.

Add the tomatoes, olives, and capers. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally.

While the sauce is simmering get your filets ready. Use paper towel to pat the fish dry. Cut the filets into pieces and season them with salt and pepper.

Nestle the fish in the sauce. Cover the pan and simmer for approximately 8 minutes. The fish should flake nicely. Serve the fish atop your rice or grits and ladle on some of the sauce. Garnish with some fresh parsley.

Enjoy!

NOTES: This recipe would work well with any meaty white fish. I have not used trout or salmon, but those may be fine as well. Fish skin is best when it is crispy so no skin when poaching. Adjust the spice level based on personal preference.

The leftover broth is a great addition to soup or chowder so save it.

I haven’t been blogging for a few days but I have been cooking. A couple of nights ago I made poached cod. We love fish and tomato dishes and this fits the bill for both. Cod is a mild fish available in most grocery stores. In the fish counter or the freezer. Either will work fine for this dish. Unless I have fish that was just caught, cleaned and ready for cooking I soak my fish in milk for at least 30 minutes.

I am convinced that this takes away the fishy smell that turns some people off to eating fish. Making sure you don’t over cook your fish also keeps the fish odors to a minimum. I know people who absolutely refuse to cook fish at home because of the smell. When I make this dish people walking into my house are more likely to say they smell onion and garlic. Everyone loves the smell of onion and garlic!

Ingredients:

1 cod filet (approximately one pound)

2 T olive oil

1 medium yellow onion diced

3 or 4 cloves of garlic sliced

1 pint diced tomatoes

1 cup chicken broth

1 can tomato sauce

1/4 cup capers drained

1/4 cup kalamata olives sliced

1 can cannelloni beans

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook the onions until they are tender but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute until the garlic is fragrant.

Reduce the heat and stir in the tomatoes and the chicken broth. Add the tomato sauce and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Stir in the capers and olives. Drain and rinse the beans and add those. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Pat the fish that you’ve soaked in milk dry. Cut it into serving size pieces and immerse the fish in the tomato broth. Cover the pan and allow it to simmer for 5-10 minutes until the fish is cooked through and flakes. Remove from the heat. Serve the fish, along with the broth and beans, over rice.

One of my favorite fish dishes.

NOTE: You could also add the cooked rice to the tomato broth, break up the fish pieces and serve this as a soup. However you choose to serve it I think you will find it homey and very satisfying.

If you like kicked up favors you could add some red pepper flakes and/or cayenne pepper when you add the olives and capers.

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