I was out on the town last night, so there was no post. As I've just about recovered from yesterday's revels, I'm going to write today about that King of the Fishes, the noble cod.
Cod was once the staple diet of the everyday household. Not anymore. Over-fishing has become a problem, and the menus of the swankiest restaurants now boast this one ubiquitous fish.
If you live in Britain or the East Coast of the United States, the chances are that your cod was caught in the North Atlantic. If you're in the mood for a bit of bed-time reading, you can find out more in Mark Kurlansky's excellent book, Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World, available from all good bookshops.
Now for the recipe bit. Here's my take on "Cod with Parsley Sauce". It's a simple dish; Nursery Food at its best. Take two or so fillets of cod and steam them. I'm a big fan of steaming. It's easy, quick and healthy, and because of all the moisture floating around, your food won't dry out. You can buy steamers cheaply from your local kitchen shop, or if you are lucky enough to have a Chinatown nearby, bamboo steamers are excellent.
While your fish is cooking, make the sauce. In your favourite pan, melt two or three knobs of unsalted butter. Now add two or three tablespoons of white flour. You're about to make a roux. Stir like mad. It's crucial at this stage to get rid of any lumps, so keep stirring until you get a smooth, golden paste. Cook this for a few minutes. Again, it's important to make sure that you have cooked the flour correctly.
Now's the time to start adding milk in small batches. The plan is to make a velouté. As the flour cooks in the milk, your sauce will get thicker and thicker. Throw in a bay leaf, and grate in some nutmeg. As you stir, keep adding the milk, until you get a smooth, silky and thickish sauce. When you're happy with the result, let the sauce bubble for a bit, to make sure everything's cooked properly.
Add some torn parsley leaves (I prefer the flat-leaved variety), season the cod with salt and pepper to taste, remove the bay leaf, and you're done. An unpretentious but delicious dish. Excellent with some new potatoes, a wedge of lemon, and a decent bottle of Chablis.
