Black Cod with Cilantro Sauce

By Terry Dagrosa, SeductionMeals.com
Photo copyright: Terry Dagrosa, Seduction Meals

This dish is always a seduction meal hit and a beautiful way to deliver an edible rose of love. Black Cod is one of my favorites--as long as your fish is fresh, all you really need to do is grill or broil the fish with some olive oil, salt and pepper and the sublime taste of this mild white fish will shine through. To add variety and to please the most discerning of gourmands, try this dazzling variation. The fish is pan seared, served over a bed of garlic infused tomatoes, Kalamata olives, sautéed leeks, and garnished with a roasted artichoke heart, and topped with toasted pinoli nuts. Just divine!

Black Cod

• 2 - 4 cod fillets, you can use black cod (preferred) or any type of cod, or any fresh mild white fish, at least 1" thick
• 3 tbsp grape seed oil
  
• 1/4 cup of flour, with a dash of salt and pepper

Sautéed Vegetables

• 1 cup of leeks, sliced in circular 1/4" rings, thoroughly washed and drained
• 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/4 cup of pitted Kalamata olives sliced in half
• 3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• garnish - 1 roasted artichoke heart (can be bought from specialty food stores)
• Toasted pinoli nuts

(*I don't use salt or pepper for this dish as the olives are a bit salty)

Starting with the vegetables, add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a skillet and heat over high heat, when the oil is hot, turn to medium high and add the leeks; sauté for about 5 minutes. Next add the olives and tomatoes. Sauté over low heat for 4-5 minutes. Make a space in the center of the skillet and add garlic slices. After a few minutes, mix together with all vegetables, and add two artichokes in the center to warm. Cover and keep skillet warm over super low heat while preparing the rest of the meal.

Cilantro Puree

• 1 cup of cilantro
• 1/4 tsp lemon zest
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 cup of grape seed oil
• Salt to taste

Blanch the cilantro for 10 seconds in boiling water, drain and place in a bowl of ice water. Drain again and place on paper towels for a minute or two. Chop the cilantro and place all ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth.

Now the fish. Add a dash of salt and pepper to flour and mix together. Dust the fish with flour and coat all sides, top and bottom. Add grape seed oil to a heat separate cast iron skillet, heating until hot over high heat. Place the fish in the center of the skillet, skin side down if there is skin on the fish. Lower the heat to medium and sauté for about 1 minute, slightly pressing the fish down into the pan. Shake the fish while cooking so it does not stick to the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes per side, until the fish opaque and flaky. Remove the fish and cover to keep warm.

Toasted Pine Nuts

Just before serving, in a hot frying pan, dry and clean (no oil or butter) quickly toast pinoli nuts (just to warm and soften). This will bring out the flavor. Be sure to do this quickly as they tend to brown/blacken pretty fast

Plating the Dish

Place a mound of the sautéed tomatoes, olives and leeks in a dish, top with a piece of fish. Drizzle the cilantro puree on top of the cod. Place a roasted artichoke in the center of the fish and fan out to make the artichoke look like a rose. Garnish with toasted pinoli nuts. Pure magic!