Savory Downeast Cod Steaks Recipes

PERFECT GRILLED COD

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (375 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit).
• Bring the cod to room temperature for about 15 minutes.
• Pat the cod dry with a clean towel. Rub it with the olive oil and sprinkle it with the kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Then cover it with the homemade blackened seasoning or seafood seasoning on all sides.
• Grill the cod over indirect heat for 4 minutes, until it releases from the grates. Flip and cook another 2 to 4 minutes, until the internal temperature is 130 degrees (right when the cod starts to flake when pulled with a fork). Allow to rest for a few minutes, then serve.

PAN FRIED COD WITH LEMON-GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• Pat the cod fillets with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
• Combine the flour, salt and pepper together and dredge the cod fillets.
• Heat a cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet set over medium-high. When it is hot, swirl 3 tablespoons of the oil over the bottom of the pan and add the flour-dusted fillets. Cook for about 3 or 4 minutes. Do not move the fish. As the crust forms it will release from the pan. Give the fillet a nudge with a turner, after 3 minutes, if it moves flip it and cook the other side for 3-4 minutes. Transfer the fish to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
• In a small skillet or saucepan set over medium-low heat, heat the remaining olive oil and add the garlic and lemon slices and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Pour in the wine, chicken broth and the lemon juice. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove and discard the lemon slices and taste to adjust seasoning.
• In a small dish, combine the soft butter and cornstarch to make a paste then stir in 2-3 tablespoons of the hot sauce. Whisk the mixture into the sauce and cook until slightly thickened, then stir in the thyme leaves. Transfer the sauce to a dish or pitcher. Plate the reserved fish and spoon the hot sauce over the fish.

BAKED COD WITH GARLIC AND HERB RITZ CRUMBS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 9 x 9-inch ceramic baking dish (it should be just big enough to hold the fish) and tilt the dish to coat the bottom with oil. Place the fish fillets in the dish and turn to coat both sides with the oil. Sprinkle the fish with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bake for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the cracker crumbs, panko, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Add the melted butter and stir until evenly moistened. Set aside.
• Remove the fish from the oven and pour the wine and lemon juice directly on the fillets. Pat the crumb mixture evenly onto the fillets, pressing gently to help them adhere. (Don't worry if some crumbs get into the sauce!)
• Return the pan to the oven for 12 minutes, until the fillets are just cooked through in the center, depending on the thickness of the fish. Sprinkle with salt and serve hot with the pan juices and lemon wedges.

OVEN-BAKED COD WITH BREAD CRUMBS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lay cod fillets in a baking dish and season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Combine water and fish bouillon cube in a bowl. Stir to combine and pour over cod.
• Mix bread crumbs, butter, parsley, dill, tarragon, salt, and pepper in a bowl with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over cod.
• Bake in the preheated oven until fish flakes easily with a fork and the crust is golden and crunchy, about 20 minutes.

SAVORY DOWNEAST COD STEAKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
• Drain oysters and reserve liquid.
• Chop oysters and add to cracker crumbs, melted butter and seasonings.
• Place cod steaks in a greased baking pan.
• Spread mixture evenly over steaks.
• Add enough water to oyster liquid to make a cup.
• Pour liquid around fish.
• Cover w/ oiled paper or any baking sheet available.
• Bake 30 minutes covered.
• Bake an additional 15 minutes uncovered.

SAVORY STEAK

Steps:

• Trim fat from steak and ccut into serving size pieces.
• Sprinkle with pepper, and place in a 5-6 quart slow cooker sprayed with vegetable cooking spray.
• Place onion slices over steaks.
• Combine mushroom soup, and salsa and mix well. Spoon over steak and onions.
• Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

OH MY COD!

Steps:

• Rub oil all over fillets.
• Place in greased baking dish.
• Combine, thyme, parsley, paprika, lemon zest, salt, pepper, olive oil, brown sugar and garlic.
• Place mixture on top of fillets.
• Sprinkle panko over cod.
• Leave at room temperature while the oven preheats to 450 degrees.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cod flakes easily when tested with a fork. Or until until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Serve with lemon wedges.

EXTREME MELT-IN-YOUR-MOUTH STEAKS

Steps:

• In a food processor combine all ingredients except the steaks; process until well blended.
• Using a fork prick holes on both sides of the steaks, then place in a shallow glass baking dish or container.
• Pour the marinade over steaks and turn to make certain that steaks are coated in the marinade.
• Cover and refrigerate for 6-24 hours (turning once or twice during marinating time).
• A couple of hours before ready to grill remove the steaks from the fridge and the marinade, place on plates and let come down to room temperature (discard the marinade).
• Grill steaks until desired doneness.

SIMPLE GRILLED COD STEAKS

Steps:

• To keep the steaks from falling apart, fold the long, thin end pieces-the belly flaps-inward to form a compact round of flesh. Tie a length of kitchen twine in a loop around the outside band of skin of the fish, securing the flaps within; pull to tighten, and knot it securely.
• Sprinkle both sides of the steaks with salt, coat with garlic oil, and place in a dish with a few garlic slices and the herb stems strewn over them. Marinate for an hour or two at room temperature, or longer if refrigerated.
• Preheat the clean rack of a grill over high heat until very hot. Just before putting on the fish, rub the grill with an oiled towel or a piece of pork fat. Wipe excess garlic oil off the steaks, and set them on the grill.
• Sear the steaks without moving them for 4 to 5 minutes. Brush the tops with garlic oil. If the fish isn't sticking, check the cooked undersides and flip the steaks over as soon as the grill marks are golden brown. If the flesh sticks, grill another minute to sear, then turn the steaks over, using a sharp-edged broad metal spatula if necessary, to separate the flesh from the grill.
• Grill to mark the second side, 3 to 4 minutes; brush the top side with a small amount of garlic oil, and lower heat to medium. If the flesh is not sticking, you can make crosshatch grill marks if you wish: lift the steak after 3 minutes, rotate it 90 degrees or so in relation to the grill rack, then lower it on the same side.
• When the second side has grilled for 4 minutes or more, check for doneness by feel and sight: when the exterior flakes and the center of the steak is opaque but moist (push aside the flesh with a knife blade to see inside), remove steaks to a platter.
• Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with garlic oil. Serve right away with sauce on the side, or top with spoonfuls of salsa verde, or drizzle salmoriglio, or dress with just a plain slice of lemon and some extra-virgin olive oil.
• First Make Garlic Oil and Other Tips for Grilled Seafood
• Here are my basic preparations for all fish or shellfish before grilling. They're useful for either gas or charcoal grills, although every grill differs in heat output and cooking times:
• First, make plenty of garlic-infused oil, ahead of time, to flavor all fish and shellfish, including clams, mussels, and oysters in the shell.
• For one cup of oil, drop 1/4 cup of sliced garlic in 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let the oil infuse for 1/2 hour to 1 hour before using; then remove the garlic slices. The oil can be refrigerated for a week or more.
• Marinate the seafood in garlic oil: pour just enough oil over to coat; toss and turn to oil all surfaces. Toss in some of the garlic slices if the garlic oil is freshly made, or a few newly cut slices, as well as fresh herb stems or branches-such as thyme, bay leaves, or rosemary. Marinate all fish for an hour or two if possible before grilling, or even overnight (refrigerated, of course).
• Clean and scrape the grill rack well, and get it intensely hot over high heat or hot piled coals before putting on the fish.
• Grease the hot grill rack lightly before putting on food, with an oiled paper towel, or a piece of cured pork skin from prosciutto end (page 129).
• Sear fish without turning until deeply marked by the grill, anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes. Thorough searing minimizes sticking.
• For large fish or steaks, initially cook over high heat, then, halfway through, lower heat to medium; for smaller pieces, lower the heat (or spread the coals) and cook only over medium heat.
• Keep garlic oil handy, and drizzle or brush on seafood sparingly while grilling-usually on turning the pieces. Avoid spilling any oil onto the lava rocks or coals and starting smoky, bad-tasting flare-ups.
• Grill simple garnishes and accompaniments for seafood at the same time. I grill rounds of lemon on the rack alongside my fish or shellfish, until nicely caramelized, 5 minutes or more, turning them occasionally. Another favorite: brush slices of country bread with garlic oil, and mark well on both sides (over a cool section of the grill), to serve with the fish.
• Serving Suggestions . . .
• Cooked Carrot Salad with Pine Nuts and Golden Raisins (page 45), Scallion and Asparagus Salad (page 35), or Eggplant all'Uccelletto (Poached Eggplant with Vinegar, Garlic, and Mint; page 252) would be an ideal accompaniment for grilled cod.
• First Make Garlic Oil-And Other Tips for Grilled Seafood
• Just a few steps from my kitchen is the door to a shady terrazzo where we relax and eat many of our summer meals. On one wall is a beautiful old-fashioned brick fireplace for cooking meats over wood coals. But often, I have to confess, I do my everyday grilling on a convenient gas grill with adjustable burners. And usually I grill fish or shellfish-it's always quick, and my family loves it.
• Here are my basic preparations for all fish or shellfish before grilling. They're useful for either gas or charcoal grills, although every grill differs in heat output and cooking times:
• First, make plenty of garlic-infused oil, ahead of time, to flavor all fish and shellfish, including clams, mussels, and oysters in the shell.
• For one cup of oil, drop 1/4 cup of sliced garlic in 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let the oil infuse for 1/2 hour to 1 hour before using; then remove the garlic slices. The oil can be refrigerated for a week or more.
• Marinate the seafood in garlic oil: pour just enough oil over to coat; toss and turn to oil all surfaces. Toss in some of the garlic slices if the garlic oil is freshly made, or a few newly cut slices, as well as fresh herb stems or branches-such as thyme, bay leaves, or rosemary. Marinate all fish for an hour or two if possible before grilling, or even overnight (refrigerated, of course).
• Clean and scrape the grill rack well, and get it intensely hot over high heat or hot piled coals before putting on the fish.
• Grease the hot grill rack lightly before putting on food, with an oiled paper towel, or a piece of cured pork skin from prosciutto end (page 129).
• Sear fish without turning until deeply marked by the grill, anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes. Thorough searing minimizes sticking.
• For large fish or steaks, initially cook over high heat, then, halfway through, lower heat to medium; for smaller pieces, lower the heat (or spread the coals) and cook only over medium heat.
• Keep garlic oil handy, and drizzle or brush on seafood sparingly while grilling-usually on turning the pieces. Avoid spilling any oil onto the lava rocks or coals and starting smoky, bad-tasting flare-ups.
• Grill simple garnishes and accompaniments for seafood at the same time. I grill rounds of lemon on the rack alongside my fish or shellfish, until nicely caramelized, 5 minutes or more, turning them occasionally. Another favorite: brush slices of country bread with garlic oil, and mark well on both sides (over a cool section of the grill), to serve with the fish.

SAVORY STEAK SEASONING (FOR ALL TYPES OF MEAT)

Steps:

• Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl or measuring cup until well blended.
• Pour into a spice jar and shake well.

COD STEAKS ON A BED OF CREAMY LEEKS, POTATO AND BACON

Steps:

• Fry the bacon over a medium heat with no extra fat until it's starting to go crispy and lots of fat has run off into the pan.
• Add the leeks and onion, stir them around and cook for about 10 minutes.
• Throw in the potatoes, stock and wine, season lightly with salt and black pepper, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
• In the meantime, wash and dry the cod steaks, and dredge them in flour with salt and pepper.
• When the leeks have had their 20 minutes, melt some butter in a non-stick frying pan with a little bit of oil. When it's hot, put in the cod steaks and cook them over a medium-high heat for five minutes on each side. Keep cooking the leeks in the meantime.
• Just before serving, stir a few tablespoons of cream into the leeks and check the seasoning.
• Pile the creamy leeks onto the plates, and pop the cod steaks on top with a wedge of lemon.

AREPAS DE QUESO FRITAS

Steps:

• Mix the water and the egg yolk.
• In a large bowl mix the flour and the egg/water mixture.
• Mix and kneed the dough for about 5 minutes until it is compact.
• Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile heat a deep fryer to 170ºC, or fill a frying pan with lots of oil and heat.
• Take a small ball of the dough, the size of an egg and mold into a flat circle, about 1 cm thick.
• Fry until golden brown, turning regularly.
• Turn out onto crumpled absorbent paper and leave to cool slightly.
• Split them open (like a pita bread) and fill with cheese, ham, butter, honey or whatever you wish. (If there is too much "fluff" inside, you can remove it with a spoon, leaving only the outer shell).
• Serve immediately--they don't keep and don't re-heat.