Icelandic Cod

Did you know that eating cod once a week can help to reduce your risk of heart disease and increase your intake of vitamin B12 and those popular heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids?

It’s true! And Omaha Steaks can supply you and your family with this healthy meat alternative.As a chef, I enjoy cooking with cod because of its versatility. The fish has a meaty, yet flaky texture that is suitable for a variety of cooking methods. Cod is an excellent candidate for roasting, baking, grilling, poaching and steaming.

Those of you that are interested in light and easy cooking methods will enjoy my Chinese-Style Icelandic Cod recipe. In this recipe, the fish is gently steamed, which helps it to retain as many nutrients as possible.

 Chinese Style Icelandic Cod 

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 4 (6 oz.) Omaha Steaks Icelandic Cod
• 8 bay bok choy
• ¼ cup white wine
• 6 scallions, sliced on the bias
• 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tbsp. + 2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar, divided
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons sesame oil
• 3 strips of orange zest , finely julienned
• 1 chili pepper (optional)
• 2 oranges, segmented
• 4 radishes, medium julienned
• 3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed orange juice
• 3 sprigs of cilantro
• 1 ½ tablespoon garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• ¼ cup canola oil, plus 3 tablespoons
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse the cod fillets under cold water and pat dry.

2. Clean the bok choy and remove from stem. Reserve in a damp towel in the refrigerator until ready to cook.

3. In a medium bowl, add the wine, scallions, sugar, ginger, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, orange zest and chili pepper, if using. Cover and place in the refrigerator to macerate.

4. In a small bowl, add the radishes and orange segments.  Add 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons of canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Reserve this with other ingredients until ready to use.

5. Turn on your steamer to high and let the steam start to build for about 5-8 minutes.  I use a bamboo steaming basket with 2 levels placed over a pot of rapidly boiling water. The lower section is for the fish and the upper is for the bok choy. If you don’t have this option, you can simply blanch the bok choy in lightly salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes.

6. Season the fish with salt and pepper and add to the steamer once the water is rapidly boiling and the steam has accumulated.

7. Quickly close the steamer and reduce the flame (or your steam setting) to medium. Let the cod cook gently for 4-6 minutes. The fish should be opaque and almost cooked all the way through. It will carry on cooking even when removed from the steamer, so be careful as to not overcook the fish.

Asian-style Icelandic Codfish

Accompaniments:

Orange and Radish Salad:
1. Carefully tear the cilantro with your fingers.
2. Add to the salad and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Note: The radishes will have released a nice pinkish color to the dressing and it can be used to elegantly highlight certain areas of the dish when plating.

The Scallion Sauce:
1. While the fish is cooking, add the macerated scallion sauce to a pan and place over a medium flame.
2. Stir gently and bring all to a slight boil and then remove from the heat.
3. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if necessary.

Garlic and Sesame Oil:
1. Add the canola oil to a small pot or sauté pan. Heat it gently and add the garlic.
2. Once the garlic barely begins to color, add the sesame seeds and toast them in with the garlic.
3. Reserve this oil to drizzle over the cod fish.

To Plate:
1. Season the steamed or blanched bok choy and arrange in the center of a serving plate.
2. Using a flat fish spatula, remove the cod from the steamer and place on top of the bok choy.
3. Pour some scallion sauce over the fish.
4. Add the radish and orange salad. Spoon some of the colorful juices around the plate.
5. Lightly drizzle the sesame-garlic oil over the fish. Serve immediately.