Cod with Fennel Butter

I want to share this recipe that I prepared a couple weeks ago.  It is a wonderful light dish that goes well with any vegetable.  I served roasted potatoes and steamed artichokes with it.  The recipe is from "The Cook's Encyclopedia of Four Ingredient Cooking"  by Joanna Farrow.   I did change it slightly though, it called for Haddock fish, which is expensive and hard to find.  I instead bought cod fish for it.

A note about buying fish:  Overfishing and trawling have drastically reduced the number of cod in the Atlantic Ocean and destroyed its sea floor. A better choice is Pacific cod (a.k.a. Alaska cod); it is more sustainably fished and has a larger, more stable population, according to Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.  I always try and buy sustainable seafood.  Marine Stewardship Council is a great organization that provides labels and information on fishery companies that are operating in a environmentally responsible way.  When you buy seafood with the Marine Stewardship Council blue ecolabel on it, you will know that this fish was caught in a sustainable and ocean friendly way.  I am also very blessed with a brother who is a fly fisherman and occasionally brings me fresh caught fish.  He of course catches his fish in a sustainable way too! 

COD WITH FENNEL BUTTER (The Cook's Encyclopedia of Four Ingredient Cooking by Joanna Farrow)

Ingredients:  (4 servings)

1 1/2 pounds cod fillet (or haddock), skinned and cut into 4 portions
1/4 cup of butter
1 lemon
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fennel

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425°F.  Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper.  Melt one-fourth of the butter in a skillet, preferably nonstick, and cook the fish fillets over medium heat briefly on both sides.

Transfer the fish to a shallow ovenproof dish. Cut four wafer-thin slices from the lemon and squeeze the juice from the remainder over the fish.  Place the lemon slices on top and then bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the fish is cooked.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in the skillet and add the fennel and a little seasoning.

Transfer the cooked fish to plates and pour the cooking juices into the herb butter.  Heat gently for a few seconds, then pour the herb butter over the fish.  Serve immediately!

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking,
Alyson