Cod (also called codfish, or, in some places, scrod) is a white-fleshed "flakey" fish that is high in many nutrients now recognized as exceedingly good for your blood, heart and brain. It's a popular seafood item in restaurants throughout the United States and in many European countries.
When I dine on cod, I think of icy cold waters and northern lands like Canada, Iceland, Norway and such. Indeed, cod played a vital economic and cultural role for centuries in these countries; even the Vikings subsisted at times by consuming large quantities of this fish. Later, when the frigid waters of the North Atlantic were found to be teeming with cod, England and France almost went to war over who would control this abundant protein source--the fishermen of New England or those of the French maritime colonies of Canada.
Today, codfish stocks in the North Atlantic are under threat from overfishing, and restrictions on the taking of cod have been put into place to give those stocks a chance to recover. Cod from other waters--notably the North Pacific--remains more-or-less widely available, fortunately. You can still enjoy a dish of cod and know that you're getting plenty of vitamins A and D along with those omega-3 fatty acids that do wonderful things to keep your heart in good shape.
Cod is a mild-flavored fish, so it is often enjoyed by people who don't like fish that is, well, too "fishy" tasting. Because it is mild, it can take a lot of different seasonings and flavorings, making it an especially versatile seafood.
Cod is an outstanding baking fish, and as you might guess, there are many ways to bake cod. Here's a basic recipe that will serve you well. Feel free to experiment with it, though. It's hard to go wrong with cod, so play around with adding other ingredients that come to mind or varying the amounts of the ones shown here.
Ingredients
1 lb. cod
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder or onion salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Directions
Lay the fish in a greased ceramic baking dish. Combing all of the other ingredients; pour this mix over the fish. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.
This recipe takes a mild-tasting fish and adds piquancy through the onion powder and, especially, the crushed red pepper. You'll be serving up a big helping of brain- and heart food at the same time.
When I dine on cod, I think of icy cold waters and northern lands like Canada, Iceland, Norway and such. Indeed, cod played a vital economic and cultural role for centuries in these countries; even the Vikings subsisted at times by consuming large quantities of this fish. Later, when the frigid waters of the North Atlantic were found to be teeming with cod, England and France almost went to war over who would control this abundant protein source--the fishermen of New England or those of the French maritime colonies of Canada.
Today, codfish stocks in the North Atlantic are under threat from overfishing, and restrictions on the taking of cod have been put into place to give those stocks a chance to recover. Cod from other waters--notably the North Pacific--remains more-or-less widely available, fortunately. You can still enjoy a dish of cod and know that you're getting plenty of vitamins A and D along with those omega-3 fatty acids that do wonderful things to keep your heart in good shape.
Cod is a mild-flavored fish, so it is often enjoyed by people who don't like fish that is, well, too "fishy" tasting. Because it is mild, it can take a lot of different seasonings and flavorings, making it an especially versatile seafood.
Cod is an outstanding baking fish, and as you might guess, there are many ways to bake cod. Here's a basic recipe that will serve you well. Feel free to experiment with it, though. It's hard to go wrong with cod, so play around with adding other ingredients that come to mind or varying the amounts of the ones shown here.
Ingredients
1 lb. cod
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder or onion salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Directions
Lay the fish in a greased ceramic baking dish. Combing all of the other ingredients; pour this mix over the fish. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.
This recipe takes a mild-tasting fish and adds piquancy through the onion powder and, especially, the crushed red pepper. You'll be serving up a big helping of brain- and heart food at the same time.
Sarah Sandori is the food and entertaining columnist for the Solid Gold Info Writers Consortium. Have you ever wanted to be able to exactly duplicate a favorite dish from a favorite restaurant? Check out Sarah's article where she reveals her source for the most mouth-watering secret restaurant recipes in America: http://www.solid-gold.info/most-wanted-recipes.html
