Green has always been my favorite color... It just so happens that I ended up on the green team on The Taste. So sticking with the theme, I thought I should make my favorite green sauce. In the end it was a wise decision because this dish got me my first gold star!
This is a magical plate and if you are looking to eat something light but rich in flavor, this is for you. When creating this dish, I had the goal of replicating the ocean, the crisp brininess that the deep sea brings. A perfectly seared piece of cod, with an herb and clam juice broth and some spicy clams makes for a well balanced and exciting combo.
I encourage you to use this recipe as a guideline... follow your instincts, make substitutions and get creative! Make it your own!
Check out this gorgeous collage of all the ingredients in the recipe by Inas Al-soqi
Serves 4
Ingredients
Cod - 5 - 5oz portions
Salt and Pepper - to season
Olive Oil - to cook
Sauce
Clam Juice - 2 cups
Chive, Tarragon, Dill - 1/2 bunch each
Olive Oil - 1/2 cup (to make herb oil - will not use all of it)
Lemon Juice - 1/2 each juiced
Onion - 1 each sliced
Fennel - 1/2 bulb sliced
Salt and Pepper - to taste
Garnish
Clams - 1/4 cup brunoised
Fennel - 1/4 cup brunoised
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Togarishi - 1 tsp
Chives - 2 tbsp minced
Method
First, make the purees. Thinly slice onion and fennel and begin to sweat in a sauce pot. When it is soft and sweet, puree the mixture and reserve. Next make the herb puree. I usually do the herbs separate, but for home use do it all at the same time. Blanch the herbs in salted boiling water for about 45 seconds. Shock them in an ice bath. Place the herbs in a blender and add two cubes of ice. Begin to puree while adding oil. You can use this puree/oil for future dishes. It adds color and great flavor.
For the garnish, brunoise the clam and fennel. The calm takes a lot of work and is therefore optional. Season with salt, pepper, togarishi, lemon and olive oil.
To finish the sauce, put a few spoonfuls of onion and fennel puree into a small sauce pan, add clam juice and at the end the herb puree. Season with salt, pepper and lemon.
Cooking the fish - is the most important part of the dish. In a nonstick pan over medium high heat add some oil. Season the fish with salt and pepper and place in the pan. Do not touch for the first 2 min. Lower the heat to medium and loosen from the pan. Continue to cook on one side until it is golden brown. Flip and cook for 30 more seconds and remove from pan.
To assemble, spoon the puree/broth into the center of the plate. Then place the fish down and top it with the garnish. Enjoy!