I apologise for the dumb-assed headline. Had I listened to my own advice when I was younger, I probably would have the wit to write a better one. There is no doubt that an education is a gift that, like youth, is often wasted on the young (with apologies to Oscar Wilde). There is bad news for any of us who would have been more interested in what was going on out the window than on the blackboard. Lifetime learning is now the order of the day. So, when I attended a cookery demonstration by one of Ireland’s most accomplished chefs and all round nice guy, Derry Clarke, I should have had my brain engaged.
Derry was educating a group of 40 or so enthusiastic home cooks in the Miele Experience Centre in Dublin’s Citywest. We in Ireland are used to being schooled in vast classes, so the numbers were nothing new to any of us. One of the tips we were given was a way to get a great result when cooking white, firm-fleshed fish like cod or hake. I have allowed a couple of months go by without putting theory into practice in my own kitchen. That was a mistake.
My recipe (Derry’s instructions, my blagging) for simple fried cod (or hake or most other mid-firm fish) goes as follows: Get some good quality salt without any additives. I use Malden as it’s the best I know at a price that doesn’t bring water (salty water at that) to my eyes. Get some fresh cod, ideally a nice thick fillet piece that will cook up nicely as did this piece.
Side note on fresh fish: Always try to get the freshest fish you can. Buy from a fishmonger shop that doesn’t smell of old fish. If you can smell fish, it’s going off. Trust your local fishmonger, they depend on your repeat custom and that’s an incentive to keep things as they should be. As a general rule, buy from a busy shop. That way, the fresh fish are being turned over and your chances of freshness are increased. Also, buy with your eyes. If it looks nice and firm, it’s probably fresh. Where the opportunity presents itself, check the eyes of the fish. If they are opaque, don’t buy. Also, don’t be afraid to ask about the freshness. A good fishmonger will welcome the questions.
Trim the fish so it will look nice on the plate. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt onto the flesh side of the fish. Give the skin side a salting too. Leave it for an hour. The salt will extract some of the moisture from the fish and this will tighten up the flesh somewhat. It will also help the skin to crisp nicely when fried.
Just before frying, clean the fish of salt and pat dry with paper towels. Heat a frying pan to medium hot and heat the oven to 160ºC / 320ºF. Add a small amount of cooking oil to the frying pan then add the fish, skin side down. Leave it untouched for about five minutes. You will see a crusty edge forming and the fish will start to become opaque. This opaqueness will have moved about half way up the fillet.
Gently, turn the fillet over and move the pan from the stovetop to the oven. Leave it there for five minutes.
Serve it on warmed plates with a slice of lemon and some vegetables. I did serve it with a big pile of fluffy potatoes but thought better of putting them into the shot.
Once you have cooked fish this way, you will never go back to “just throwing it on the pan.” The real lesson I learned here is that I should have paid more attention in class. The story of my life….
Mad Dog | 29th January 2019
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That looks delicious, but shouldn’t we have it on Friday 😉
buyingseafood | 29th January 2019
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Conor that looks amazing. I’ve handled thousands and thousands of pounds of cod in the first half of my life, most of it fresh out of the hold. When we did eat cod over the usual haddock it was a quick fry, nothing special. If I was coming home to something that looked like yours, I think I’d be eating a lot more cod today. Bravo!
StefanGourmet | 29th January 2019
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Hi Conor, this is more or less how I prepare cod loin. The only difference is that I will use a thermometer to make sure it is cooked to the right core temperature (pull from the oven at 45 to end up around 50), and sometimes replace the skin with a tasty breadcrumb mixture (think lemon zest, parsley, capers, anchovies…). Great photos as usual — good idea with the lemon. I have some posts with photos that have no color whatsoever and they look bad.
sybaritica | 29th January 2019
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I would say the Cod might be wanting to pay attention in *School* 🙂
Conor Bofin | Author | 6th February 2019
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Hi John,
Indeed. Though if I had, I would have enjoyed fish far more frequently. This really is a lovely way to prepare it with the bonus of being very easy.
Ron | 29th January 2019
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Ah, and now the student has become the teacher. Great lesson Conor and I tried to pay attention. I learned to generously salt my cod filet, I’ve done it that way. A must try. Thanks teach!
Conor Bofin | Author | 6th February 2019
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Thanks Ron,
The great thing about this cookery lark is that there is always lots more to learn. Some of it detailed and complex and some of it so easy. This is the latter and a lesson I wish I had learned years ago.
Lisa O'Shea | 29th January 2019
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Cod Dish looks delicious, Jimmys Dinner organised for tomorrow!!!
Conor Bofin | Author | 6th February 2019
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The poor fella Lisa, he needs fattening up. Let me know how it goes.
sallybr | 29th January 2019
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Oh, my Cod, that looks amazing!
hey, I loved your post title, in fact, I arrived here already with a big smile on my face…
very tricky for me to get my hands on excellent quality cod, but… I still paid attention to your class…
Conor Bofin | Author | 6th February 2019
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Thanks Sally,
Your mention of not being able to get fresh cod reminds me that I have, hiding in my fridge, a piece of salted cod (bacalao) that I brought back from northern Spain last year. It proves the efficacy of salting, though it is of no use for this dish. The line of thought has inspired me to try another cod dish, Cod with Pil Pil Sauce, a Spanish favourite. If I do a decent job on that, you could give it a go.
Marty | 29th January 2019
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One of my favorite meals — a hunk of cod, a pile of mash, and some salad. I’ll try salting and finishing in the oven the next time I make it.
Conor Bofin | Author | 6th February 2019
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Let me know how it comes out. The one thing I would add to your described dish is a big knob of butter, melting in a well in the mash. Bad for the heart, but good for the soul.
katechiconi | 29th January 2019
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Good Cod, who knew it was so simple? Not that I can get cod here, but the lesson will, I’m sure, apply to coral trout, snapper, red emperor or any of our local firm white fish.
Conor Bofin | Author | 6th February 2019
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Definitely worth giving it a go. The salt dries the outside of the fish while permeating a little way into the flesh. This gives a lovely salty, crisp crust over the delicate fish within. It’s really lovely and very simple.
The Cooking spoon | 29th January 2019
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This just looks perfect 👌
Conor Bofin | Author | 6th February 2019
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Thank you. The best food is usually just great ingredients cooked with minimal intervention. This is a case in point.
Eha | 29th January 2019
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Have cooked fish all my life without being wise as to salting and waiting: worth the lesson and shall try . . .
Conor Bofin | Author | 6th February 2019
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Please do Eha,
It really makes a difference and the end result needs no seasoning (as you could imagine).
foodisthebestshitever | 31st January 2019
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Good looking piece of fish there hombre 👌
Conor Bofin | Author | 6th February 2019
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Thanks. It’s so simple to cook. I suspect it might be fantastic done on an outdoor barbecue (as you do). The fish would really need to be very fresh or you could end up picking it out of the coals. Something I have done too often over the years…
foodisthebestshitever | 11th February 2019
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😜😜😜
Michelle | 3rd February 2019
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Beautiful fish.
Conor Bofin | Author | 6th February 2019
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Thanks Michelle,
I really enjoyed this little lesson.
Hope all goes well with Steve and yourself in Gourmandistan.
C
Linda Duffin | 5th February 2019
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Love that salt sprinkling pic. Good produce, simply cooked, with attention to detail. Big thumbs-up.
Conor Bofin | Author | 5th February 2019
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Thanks Linda. You have covered the main points there. We had this again last night. The salty, crispy crust on the cod is a delight.
Simply Splendid Food | 7th March 2019
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Mouth watering. I really like a good fish- I enjoy the crispy skin. And, you featured it so well. You did such a splendid job. A true artist of the knife and fork clan! 🍴 🍏 BRAVO!!