A Fish called Wantcha !

Fish are the humblest of creatures. Easy to obtain, go to meal for those on some form of reduced dining ( fasting, weight loss, health improvement and so forth), but for some reason one of the trickiest things for people to cook . Be it the skin, the tiny bones, the smell or the possibility of overcooking , they often become something to get when you go out only. Leave it to the professionals, as it were. Often  those professionals include the Gorton's fisherman or some drive through option. Often tasty, but is it really that tricky to come up with yummy fish at home ?

Not at all, if you select a very friendly variety and cook it with some time honored techniques. Large fish like cod, halibut and turbot  live in colder waters, grow large and have almost no pin bones. Their taste is mild , which makes them enjoyable to most people. They are also the most commonly used fish for fish sandwiches and fast food fish so people are familiar with their taste. Time honored methods are cooking at a high heat for a short time and using herbs that accent the mild flavor. Parsley , lemon and butter are hands down winners  for a very classic baked fish.

Lemon Cod  with parsley

1 cod fillet
salt and pepper to taste
2 pats butter
small handful of parsley, chopped
1 slice fresh lemon

In a baking pan place the cod filet, sprinkle with salt and pepper. sprinkle with chopped parsley according to your tastes ( I like it because in my mind it looks like seaweed), 2 pats of butter and a lemon slice. Pop in a 425 oven for 20 minutes, or till the fish is opaque and flaky.

Think a simple piece of cod looks too bland ? Pair it with a salad riot !

This one is made with baby spinach, radicchio, sliced fresh fennel , green onions and cherry tomato halves. Sort of the Italian Flag colors laid out on a plate.

Poor fish- it get's a bad rap pretty often when it is lumped into the classification of Peasant  Food  or humble fare. Nothing could be further from the truth . Fish can be an elegant, delicious dish. Good cooks and Chefs know this fact.The potential good in fish was not overlooked by a man from the past who hung around with fishermen. During a pretty memorable moment he asked his friends to gather up fish and bread and made tuna fish sandwiches for over 5,000 people. Try doing that with Sliders .