Olive Oil Poached Cod
with Tomato Hummus, Capers & Olives
Olive Oil Poached Cod
with Tomato Hummus, Capers & Olives
As a ‘tournant’ on the fish station at Daniel, the Olive Oil Poached Cod was quite possibly my favorite dish. I remember watching many times as my friend Brian dropped pearly white portions of Cod into a perfectly tempered bain of Olive Oil and the results were always the same; flawlessly cooked flakes of moist fish, flavored with Mediterranean ingredients, some of which I’ve adopted into my recipe for you here. The centered presentation is very Eddy Leroux (Daniel’s Chef de Cuisine)—organized yet whimsical—and it’s a breeze to plate up. I know you’ll enjoy my simplified Provençal version of this timeless classic…
Difficulty:
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2 people
Ingredients:
1 lb. Fresh Cod (1 ½- 2” thick)
1 c.Coarse Sea Salt
½ c. Sugar
5 ea.Parsley and Basil Stems
1 ea.Lemon, zested
2 c.EVO
1 Tbsp.Non-pareil Capers
2 Tbsp.Niçoise olives
½ Tbsp.Basil, chiffonade
3 Tbsp.Chickpeas, cooked
4 ea.Sundried Tomatoes, julienned
1 Recipe Sundried Tomato Hummus
(reserve above Sundried Tomatoes & chickpeas for garnish)
Technique:
• Rinse Cod and pat dry. Mix (2:1 ratio) salt/sugar cure with half the zest of a lemon and cover evenly over the fish on both sides.
•Put in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes for 1 ½” thick filet. (slightly less if thinner)
•Make Hummus and store in a piping bag in warm water.
• In a small pot (just large enough for the fish), bring EVO to 160F and hold temperature on a low flame.
•Rinse Cod in cold water, pat dry and cut into two portions, then add it to the EVO.
•Cook for 5-7 minutes, until fish flakes apart. Remove from oil and rest on a paper napkin to absorb excess oil.
•Turn off the burner under the oil and add chickpeas, capers and olives to warm up gently.
•Delicately pull apart flakes of Cod and season with lemon zest, esplette and a tiny bit of Fleur de Sel.
•Pipe a (4”) ring of hummus in the center of the plate and arrange cod stacked inside. Drizzle with a spoon of the poaching oil.
•Add the warm garnish, sundried tomatoes and basil chiffonade over the fish and serve.
Monday, Nov 07, 2011