Tuesday, March 1, 2022

Roasted Cod and Broccolini with Lemon Parsley Sauce

LESLIE BUDEWITZ:  We’ve shared lots of great ways to cook fish over the years, and they often include lemon and herbs. One of the favorites in my household is Lemon Garlic Grilled Tilapia with Couscous, and we still love this Grilled Salmon with Potatoes, Snap Peas, and Green Goddess Dressing

This roasted cod joined the list of faves in one bite. It's particularly good for weeknight dinners—it’s quick and easy, but so elegant that it looks like it took much longer. And both the cooking and cleanup are made easy by the use of a sheet pan for roasting. 

And broccolini. Oh, my. How did we ever live—or eat—without it? But if you don’t like it or can’t get it, you can substitute asparagus, Brussels sprouts, or endive. Just watch your roasting time.

For two, it’s probably easiest to make the full amount of sauce and use later for other fish or chicken, or thin for a salad dressing, rather than try to cut the amounts. You’ll remember that I always caution care with lemon juice; this amount worked for us, but you might want to cut it in half and taste after you blend the sauce, adjusting if necessary. You want a bright flavor, but not one that puckers your mouth! Frozen fish works beautifully; just thaw thoroughly and pat dry. 

We served this with orzo tossed with butter and Italian herbs for an easy but elegant dinner!

Friends, we try to keep things light here at the Kitchen, but we are keenly aware of the powerful role of food in connecting people and in shaping a culture. If you’d like to express your concern for Ukraine and its people through food, consider making Dureny, Ukrainian potato pancakes, or this pan-fried Chicken Kiev, which we made over the weekend. And consider a donation to World Central Kitchen, the organization started by Chef Jose Andres to bring food to people in crisis situations throughout the world. 

Roasted Cod with Parsley-Shallot Sauce and Broccolini 

adapted from the Washington Post

1 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh parsley leaves and tender stems (about 1 bunch)
1 small shallot, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
kosher salt 
freshly ground black pepper, divided
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large bunch broccolini (about 8 ounces), trimmed
4 (6-ounce) fillets cod, thoroughly patted dry


Heat oven to 425 degrees.

In a small bowl of food processor or mini-processor, combine the parsley, shallot, mustard, lemon juice and 1/8 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Pulse until finely chopped. Drizzle in 3 tablespoons of the oil and process, scraping down the sides if needed, until the mixture is smooth and creamy, with flecks of parsley. 

On a large, rimmed baking sheet, arrange the broccolini in a single layer and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt, toss to coat, then push the broccolini to one side of the baking sheet. Arrange the fish on the other side and season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork and the broccolini stems are tender and the tops are lightly crisped. If vegetables are cooking more quickly than the fish, remove the vegetables from the oven and cover. 

Divide the fish and broccolini among 4 plates. Top the fish with the parsley sauce and serve.

Serves 4. 




Enjoy!

From the cover of BITTERROOT LAKE, written as Alicia Beckman (Crooked Lane Books; available in hardcover, ebook, and audio): 

When four women separated by tragedy reunite at a lakeside Montana lodge, murder forces them to confront everything they thought they knew about the terrifying accident that tore them apart, in Agatha Award-winning author Alicia Beckman's suspense debut.

Twenty-five years ago, during a celebratory weekend at historic Whitetail Lodge, Sarah McCaskill had a vision. A dream. A nightmare. When a young man was killed, Sarah's guilt over having ignored the warning in her dreams devastated her. Her friendships with her closest friends, and her sister, fell apart as she worked to build a new life in a new city. But she never stopped loving Whitetail Lodge on the shores of Bitterroot Lake.

Now that she's a young widow, her mother urges her to return to the lodge for healing. But when she arrives, she's greeted by an old friend--and by news of a murder that's clearly tied to that tragic day she'll never forget.

And the dreams are back, too. What dangers are they warning of this time? As Sarah and her friends dig into the history of the lodge and the McCaskill family, they uncover a legacy of secrets and make a discovery that gives a chilling new meaning to the dreams. Now, they can no longer ignore the ominous portents from the past that point to a danger more present than any of them could know.


Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries, continuing in July 2022 with Peppermint Barked. She's the winner of Agatha Awards in three categories. Death al Dente, the first Food Lovers' Village Mystery, won Best First Novel in 2013, following her 2011 win in Best Nonfiction. Her first historical short story, "All God's Sparrows," won the 2018 Agatha Award for Best Short Story. As Alicia Beckman, she writes standalone suspense, beginning with Bitterroot Lake (2021) and continuing with Blind Faith (October 2022, Crooked Lane Books).

A past president of Sisters in Crime and a current board member of Mystery Writers of America, she lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat, an avid bird-watcher.

Swing by her website and subscribe to her seasonal newsletter, for a chat about the writing life, what she's working on, and  what she's reading -- and a free short story. And join her on Facebook where she shares book news and giveaways from her writer friends, and talks about food, mysteries, and the things that inspire her.

8 comments:

  1. Leslie, thank you for those Ukrainian suggestions. I donated to World Central Kitchen yesterday - they are feeding the refugees.

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  2. Ooo, that does sound good.
    Pray for our crazy world.

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    Replies
    1. As the bumper sticker says, "Love people. Feed them."

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  3. That looks delicious, Leslie! Yes, I love Jose Andres,and we donated, too! I've been craving Chicken Kiev so much lately.

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  4. I've chosen World Central Kitchen as one of the organizations I'm supporting so I'm really happy to see it's mention here. Thank you for the Ukrainian recipes too. Since cod and broccolini are two of my favorite foods, I'll be making the roasted cod recipe soon!

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  5. I've chosen World Central Kitchen as one of the organizations I'm supporting so I'm really happy to see it's mention here. Thank you for the Ukrainian recipes too. Since cod and broccolini are two of my favorite foods, I'll be making the roasted cod recipe soon!

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  6. Lynn and Linda, thank you both.
    xoxo

    ReplyDelete