Black Olive Crusted Pacific Cod with Crispy Carrots, Roasted Potatoes, and Saffron Aioli
Cod is very popular in the south of France. Because cod is a lean fish with a strong flavor, it pairs well with strongly flavored ingredients like garlic, saffron, black olives and olive oil.
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: medium
Prep time: 35 minutes
Cook time: 3 minutes
Yield: 4
Ingredients for Black Olive Crust
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup black olive, pitted
2 small sundried tomatoes
1/4 cup toasted walnuts
1 whole grain mustard
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
For Potatoes
6 large potatoes
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
For Saffron Aioli
1 potato plus potato ball trimmings, cut into small dice
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon garlic (finely chopped or paste)
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1 tablespoon Pernod or Ricard (anis liquor)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For Crispy Carrots
1 large carrot
2 cups canola oil
For Cod
4 6 ounces portions fresh cod, center cut
4 ounces unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small bunch of chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Methode
Make the black olive crust: In a sauté pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil until it shimmers, then sauté the onion until it turns light brown and is completely cooked. Transfer the cooked onion to a food processor. Add the sundried tomatoes, toasted walnuts and both mustards, and process until smooth. Chill in the refrigerator.
Blanch and cook the potatoes: Carve the potato balls with a melon baller, saving the trimmings for the saffron aioli. Place the potato balls in a small pot and cover them with cold water. Add salt, bring to a boil, drain, and submerge in ice cold water. When cold, drain and dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
Make the saffron aioli: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Over high heat, boil a pot of heavily salted water. Add the diced potatoes and cook until soft. Drain. Transfer the potatoes to a cookie sheet, then bake them for 5 minutes – this will dry them out. Mix the saffron threads with the Pernod or Ricard in a small glass container, then heat in a microwave for 1 minute. Mix the potato, egg yolk, garlic and warm saffron liquid with an electric mixer. Slowly add the olive oil and lemon juice, a little bit at the time. Season the aioli with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Fry the carrot: Heat canola oil over high heat to 375 degrees on a candy thermometer. Cut the carrot into thin curls with a Rouet machine. Rinse the curled carrots under cold water. Repeat. Fry in canola oil for few seconds until light brown but still orange underneath the crust. Drain on a paper towel.
Cook the potatoes: In a sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil. Sauté the potato balls with salt and pepper until cooked through and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Reserve on a paper towel.
Cook the cod: Dry the surface of the cod with a paper towel - this will help the black olive crust adhere to the fish. Press the black olive mixture onto the top of the cod with a small spatula or the back of a spoon. Chill the cod in the refrigerator for about an hour. In a nonstick pan over low heat, heat the olive oil. Place the cod in the pan with the olive crust side down and cook gently for about two minutes. Watch it carefully so the olive crust does not turn color. Carefully flip the cod, then place the pan in the oven to finish cooking. It will take just 1 minute until the internal temperature reaches 125 to 135 degrees.
Serve the cod: In the center of each plate, place the potato balls in three rows of three. Place the cod on top of the potato balls. Spoon the aioli along each side of the fish. Finish with the crispy carrots and chives on top and serve immediately.
"Dinner is Served. Bon Appetit!" — Chef Patrice Olivon
For a delicious autumn meal, serve Vegetable and Pesto Soup with French Baguette Crostini as an appetizer, then follow it with Black Olive Crusted Cod. Serve Warm Fig Tarts for dessert.
Nutritional Information: Per Serving: 566 Calories; 42g Fat (63.9% calories from fat); 26g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 80mg Cholesterol; 519mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 8 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
From: Dinner is Served, a public television series
© 2009 Fresh TV Creative, LLC, All Rights Reserved.
For more information about Chef Patrice and Dinner is Served,
visit www.chefpatrice.tv