We literally almost had a meltdown in our freezer the other day. (Yes, in addition to the actual melt down we had a few weeks back.) This time it was my fault.
Let me begin by saying we have 3 small freezers, each with 3 drawers, which store altogether about as much as a medium sized chest freezer would store.
Because of my arthritis and the fact that I am quite short, I was finding it difficult to navigate our chest freezer so we got rid of it a few years back. Anyways, the other day I put something into one of them and did not quite get it closed. DUH!
Thankfully I went to get something out the day after and noticed it before we had lost everything. (again) Anyways, All we lost was a tub of ice cream. Some of my beautiful fish had just about thawed out however.
I had just gotten a delivery from Seafresh the day before. Beautiful North Atlantic Cod Loins (thick, firm and delicately flavoured), Salmon Fillets (which are centre cuts and gorgeous), King Prawns (peeled, deveined and ready to cook), and fabulous Sea Bass (boneless and sustainable).
Thankfully all that was affected was half of the cod. It did still have ice crystals in it, but not enough that I felt safe re-freezing it.
Seafresh is an on line fish monger, which sells quality fish, seafood,
poultry and meat. They have access to some of the best quality products
from Britain and around the world.
This is largely due to the good relationships
they have fostered with their suppliers since 1996, when they began
with the very simple concept of selling high quality frozen foods to
their customers right in the comfort of their own homes.
I've been enjoying their fabulous products for over a year now and I have to say I have never been disappointed.
They have been a real God-send throughout this pandemic, with their fast and reliable and efficient delivery and quality products. I have always been able to depend on them.
So anyways, although I had not planned on serving fish mid-week, I ended up cooking us some lovely Cod for our dinner that day.
There is nothing more delicious on earth than a beautiful, fresh piece of Cod and theirs is some of the best I have tasted. We have never been disappointed.
I chose to cook it very simply. This is one of the easiest ways of cooking fish and yet one of the most delicious.
It turns out perfectly every time.
Dusted with flour and seasonings it is simply pan fried in butter along with several sprigs of fresh thyme and marjoram.
You cannot get any easier.
It cooks for two to three minutes per side until golden brown and perfectly cooked. I then squeeze lemon juice over top.
The lemon juice both flavours the fish and then mingles with the delicious juices of the fish in the pan and the butter to create a lush sauce which is beautiful spooned over the finished dish.
You really don't get much better than this. On this particular day I also sprinkled the fillets with some roasted tomato seasalt that I had gotten with my tomato order.
I thought it would go well with fish and I was right. Especially Cod. It was a delicious addition.
In any case we enjoyed our fish with a simple side salad and some boiled new potatoes. We felt like we were dining like Kings. What could have been a tragic accident turned into an unexpected mid-week pleasure!
Pan Fried Cod
Yield: 2
Meltingly tender and sweet cod, cooked in butter with the addition of several fresh herbs. Simple, quick and delicious!
Ingredients:
- 2 thick Cod loins (thawed if frozen)
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs of fresh marjoram
- Some flour for dusting
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ground sweet paprika
- knob of butter
- the juice of half a lemon
Instructions:
- Dry your cod loins very well with some paper kitchen towelling. Dust each loin lightly with some salt, pepper and paprika. Roll them in the flour, patting lightly on both sides to help it adhere and shaking off any excess. Set aside.
- Melt a knob of butter in a large skillet over medium high heat, along with the springs of thyme and marjoram. Once it begins to foam, add the fish, presentation side down, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on one side, until golden brown. Flip over and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes, until browned and the fish is just cooked through. (The edges should flake easily with teased with the tines of a fork.)
- Squeeze the lemon over top and remove immediately from the heat. Swirl the pan to amalgamate the juices of the fish, lemon and butter.
- Divide the fish between 2 heated plates. Spoon some of the butter from the pan and herbs over top of each portion. Serve immediately.
Just look at how nicely cooked that is. This was one very beautiful piece of fish, thanks to Seafresh.
A few things about Seafresh:
- Same Day dispatch on orders received before 1 PM.
- All packages are carefully hand packed.
- Free delivery on orders above £50, £8 on orders below that amount.
- Responsibly and sustainably sourced.
- Air Blast Frozen at source within 4 hours of being caught.
- Wide variety to choose from.
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I have made this recipe several times and thought I'd let you know how much we liked it. Last time, I added l little grated parmesan in with the flour and what a treat. with or without the cheese this is a wonderful recipe. Thanks
ReplyDeleteI am so pleased that you make and enjoy this. I love, LOVE your idea of adding some Parmesan in with the flour. What a brilliant idea! Thank you! xo
DeletePlease be more specific. Knob of butter?
ReplyDeleteSince the butter in this dish is also meant to be used somewhat like a sauce I would say no less than 2 TBS.
DeleteMarie, this is the simplest, most awesome tasting fish! Thank you! I will make it this way from now on! I just love the simplistic recipe, and the wonderful easy but delicious taste. Hubby and I love fish. (His Dad was a West Coast fisherman) The only thing I changed in the recipe (not by choice, but necessity because I was out of it) was I used crushed oregano instead of marjoram. But...used fresh thyme. We love it!!!!
ReplyDelete