Baked Cod with Garlic and Herbs

Friday 10 October 2014

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The other day when I was iat the market picking up a few things, I noticed that they had some beautiful fresh cod at the fish mongers.   I so love fresh fish, especially when it's being sold just within hours of it being caught.   I decided right then and there that I was going to buy some for our tea that night.  I didn't dare tell Todd how much I paid for it.  He would have had a fit.  Let's just say that it cost me as much as it would have done to buy a nice beef roast . . .  so it was quite pricey, but sometimes you just have to treat yourself, don't you think?

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Freshness is everything when it comes to buying fish.  It's really quite a pricey source of protein, so you certainly want to make sure that what you are buying is as fresh as possible.   Never buy fish on a Monday . . .  you can be pretty sure that any fish being sold on a Monday was caught several days prior to that, as fishing boats don't generally go out on a Sunday.   Rule number one!

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 Fish which has just been caught should not smell overly fishy.   If it smells really fishy, you can be sure that it is not fresh.  Filleted fish should look wet and not at all dry in appearance.  If it is unfilleted it should have bright clear eyes and it's gills should be a healthy red.  If it has scales they should be intact and hot half rubbed off . . . and fish without scales should look shiny, almost like it has just come out of the water.

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Such a nice piece of fish called for a really simple treatment.  I whipped up a herby, cheesy spread which I slathered all over the top (which would also help to keep the moisture in the fish) and simply baked it in the oven at a high temperature.   Within 15 minutes, we were ready to enjoy it with some potatoes, some frozen corn and some green beans.

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It was tender.   It was moist.   It had a delicious flavour and we all enjoyed it immensely.  I tried not to spoil the experience by thinking about how much I had paid for it . . .  actually knowing it cost so much probably made me savour it all the more.

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*Baked Cod with Garlic and Herbs*
Serves 4

This is such a simple recipe and yielding well flavoured perfectly cooked fish with the delicious flavours of cheese, garlic and herbs.  Fabulouly easy and quick.   


2 lbs. cod fillets
75g of good quality mayonnaise (1/3 cup)
(I used Hellman's Roasted Onion Mayonnaise)
60g freshly grated Parmigianno Regianno cheese (1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons each chopped fresh parsley and basil
1 medium clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
salt and pepper, to taste    


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Preheat your oven to 220*C/425*F/ gas mark 7.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with baking paper.   Set aside.

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Whisk together the mayonnaise, cheese, parsley, basil and garlic.  Cut your fish into serving sized portions.   Rinse and pat dry.   Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Place onto the baking sheet leaving some space between each.  Divide the mayonnaise mixture amongst the fillets, spreading it over each one to cover.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the fish is opague and flakes with the tines of a fork.  If you don't think it is golden brown enough, you can pop it under the grill for several minutes.   It should be perfectly cooked.   Allow to stand for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.



8 comments

  1. I love baked cod Marie and look delicious!
    The twins love fish but sometimes only want fry fish! But I this fish would love them:))
    xo

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  2. I hope that you will be able to try it Gloria. It's really very good! xx

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  3. I am glad you went for it:) It looks lovely:)

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  4. It was gorgeous Monique, and worth every penny! Xx

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  5. Yup...making this great recipe too. Thanks!
    We are off to see "Meet the Mormons" at the theater in a few minutes. Have a great weekend!
    xoxo

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  6. Hope you like this when you cook it Valerie, and I can't wait to hear about the film! xxoo

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  7. I'm a big fan of baked cod and we get some lovely, freshly caught cod here. This was today's pick for my Fish on Friday theme.

    It was so quick and easy to make and the fish was cooked to perfection and tasted delicious. We had ours with Dauphinoise Potatoes, stir fried Garlic Spinach and whole roasted carrots. Yum!

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    1. I miss the lovely cod I used to be able to get in the UK Marie. We truly are spoiled in Europe to get some of the best cod in the world. Here they like Haddock. But its not as nice as Icelandic cod in my opinion. I am so pleased you enjoyed this! Thank you so much for trying my recipes and taking the time to post your experiences. That means the world to me! xoxo

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