Pacific Cod
By Cat, Sept 2016
It’s no secret, I love fish, just about any kind of fish; but high on my list of favorites is cod (also salmon and halibut). Cod is in my Nordic blood. And I’m always on the lookout for ways to use up a whole head of cabbage – if only one wedge at a time.
There are different types of fish called cod: true cod (Atlantic or Pacific cod), ling cod; and some that are in the cod family that are not called cod, such as Alaska Pollock (2)
Now that we’re getting into apple and cabbage harvest season, this recipe is perfect. Plus, a friend gave me a HUGE wedge of red cabbage…
See also: 1. Fish and Seafood Menu
Pan-Roasted Cod with Red Cabbage and Apples
Roasted Cod with Apple and Cabbage
This recipe is adapted from one in Good Housekeeping magazine, October 2007 (1);the photo, left, is from the same source. Serves 4.
The original recipe suggest using a tart apple such as Granny Smith, or a sweet apple such as Gala. But I have a tree loaded with Macintosh apples that are slightly tart, and I will use those. They are a bit more watery than the recommended apples, so I will use half the amount of water, then add more if needed.
Ingredients & Equipment
- 2 Tbsp real butter (or olive oil, if you have a dairy allergy)
- 1 small head red cabbage, or wedge from a large head, about 1 1/4 lb.
- 1 lb. Granny Smith or Gala apples
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp caraway seeds
- unrefined sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
- 4 cod fillets
- Equipment:
- 12″ cast iron skillet or cast iron chicken fry pan
Method
- Prep: Core and slice cabbage thinly. Core apples, and cut into wedges, then cut each wedge into ½” chunks.
- Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in cabbage, apples, water, vinegar, caraway seeds, and ¼ tsp salt (⅛ tsp for half-recipe). Reduce heat to medium; cover skillet and cook cabbage mixture 8 – 15 minutes or until cabbage begins to wilt, stirring occasionally.
- Top cabbage mixture with cod, folding thin tail under for even cooking. Season cod salt and coarsely ground black pepper, taste. Cover skillet and cook about 10 minutes or until cod turns opaque throughout.
- Serve!
Testing
9/28/16: Made half-recipe using ½ lb red cabbage,½ lb apples (granny smith and macintosh), 1 Tbsp water, ½ Tbsp ACV, ¼ tsp caraway seed, and 2 cod filets (total ¾ lb). It took more than 8 minutes for the cabbage to begin to wilt, more like 15 minutes. Updated recipe accordingly. After adding the cod, only another 10 minutes was needed. Result: Nice flavor; the neutral-flavor of cod is perfect with the complex flavors of the cabbage, caraway and apple mix. I’d like to try this with chicken breast meat, too.
References:
- Good Housekeeping recipe and photo: goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/a8350/pan-roasted-cod-cabbage-apples-ghk1007
- Wikipedia on Cod: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cod
