Cod with Turmeric – Is That Guy Scoping Me Out?

A short while ago, my friend Katia, who, amongst other things, administers the Irish Food Bloggers group on Facebook, wrote a very engaging piece about posting while on the bus. She was a bit freaked out by a guy who appeared to be staring her out. She focussed on the posting and all worked out well in the end. “What has this got to do with Cod with Turmeric?” you say. Very little except for the fact that I’m typing this while sitting in a hotel lobby, early for a meeting, and I am totally convinced that the guy opposite me is giving me the glad eye!

Now if I were a nubile 20 year old, I might forgive him but, I’m a balding, 58 year old father of two. This is weird. I will try to focus on the recipe and not catch his eye again. I’ll update you if he does anything strange before I finish. Thankfully, this recipe is very simple and there really is not a lot on which to concentrate.

So few ingredients required for such a tasty dish.

Ingredients for Cod with Turmeric and Spinach Colcannon Mash.

• 4 serving sized pieces of good fresh cod. (See side note on buying cod)
• 3 teaspoons of turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• salt and pepper to season
• Enough potatoes to make mash for four people.
• A mug of milk
• A large knob of butter
• 2 bags of spinach (about 150 to 200 grammes)
• A couple of sprigs of dill for garnish

Side note on buying cod:  A couple of us were recently in a fishmongers shop / restaurant.  We were there for coffee. There was a ‘bang’ of fish. I remarked that this was not a good thing. One of my colleagues argued that it was simply “the smell of fish”. A debate ensued. He remained unconvinced by my arguments. So, I’ll use this forum to clearly state that if the fish smells, don’t buy it. It is a sure sign that it’s going off. It’s as simple as that. 

Peel, cook and drain the potatoes. Heat the milk in the microwave and add to the potatoes along with the butter. Mash the potatoes. Steam the spinach. Squeeze the excess water out of the spinach. Chop it up nice and small.

Concentrate on the chopping. It’s easier when nobody is watching you…

Add the spinach to the potatoes and mix well. Spread the flour on a plate. Season the flour and sprinkle on a layer of turmeric. Heat some oil in a frying pan. Skin the fish.

Don’t be distracted by anybody giving you ‘the eye’ when using a knife.

Side note on skinning fish: It is very easy to skin fish if you have a flexible fish knife. Don’t even think of trying it with a knife that is not very sharp. If you do, you will make a mess of the fish and a fool of yourself. You have been warned!

Roll the fish in the turmeric flour.

Your fingers will look like those of an old smoker. It’s a price worth paying.

Pat off the excess and place in the frying pan. It should be at about medium. Not too hot to burn the fish. Not too cool or the flour will absorb the oil.

The flour and turmeric make for a great coloured crust.

When the fish is cooked, drain it on old newspaper. It’s about all newspapers are good for these days. Serve it on the colcannon mash with a sprig of dill for a bit of class.

Excuse me, I have to stop writing. He’s smiling at me. He’s coming over…..

How embarrassing is that? He wasn’t looking at me at all. He was giving the eye to the lady sitting behind me. He’s over there now trying to chat her up. He would have more success if he cooked this cod for her. It is really delicious.

This is a really delicious dish (as was yer’ woman sitting behind me).

When the Wife reads this, she will take comfort from a couple things. Firstly, she will relive the enjoyment of the lovely dish. Secondly, she will get a laugh out of my idiotic self obsession. Thirdly, she may take some comfort from my not being picked up by strange men in hotel lobbies. That’s a good thing, I think….