Creamed Codfish Recipes

Steps:

• Soak the dried salted cod in cold water with the skin side up for 24 hours, changing the water about 4 times. Drain and discard the water.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place the cod in a pan with enough water to cover; bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the cod from the pan; remove and discard the skin and bones. Cut the cod into chunks and set aside.
• Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, fry the potatoes in the hot oil until just cooked, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
• Pour the olive oil into a Dutch oven or heat-proof casserole dish over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the oil until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the cod and cook another 3 minutes; stir the potatoes into the mixture and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
• Melt the butter in a separate pan over medium-low heat; vigorously stir the flour into the melted butter. Slowly stream the hot milk into the mixture while stirring; cook and stir until thick. Season with the nutmeg. Pour into the casserole with 1 1/3 cups cream; stir to coat. Allow the mixture to simmer together for about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle remaining 2/3 cup cream over the mixture; sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top is browned, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Flake codfish.
• Melt the butter, add flour and stir until well incorporated; add hot milk and pepper.
• Stir over medium heat until boiling.
• Add fish and beat well.
• Add beaten egg yolk and stir well.
• Serve at once.
• **Variation: Add 3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped, to the creamed fish before filling the potato shells. Add mashed potato, brush with melted butter and place under hot broiler until golden.

Steps:

• Make the teriyaki sauce: In a medium saucepan over high heat, add the soy sauce, mirin, water, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Stir to combine and bring it to a boil. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water to form a slurry and add it to the boiling mixture. Cook and stir until the sauce thickens. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm.
• Season the codfish with salt and pepper, to taste. Dust the fillets lightly with flour, shaking off any excess. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add a thin layer of oil. When the oil is hot, add the codfish and cook until it's browned on both sides and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove the fish to a plate and keep warm. Cook the scallions in the same pan, adding more oil if necessary, until they are browned and have softened slightly.
• Heat another saucepan over medium-high heat, add a thin layer of oil, and cook the ginger and chile pepper until they are softened, about 2 minutes. Carefully pour in the white wine and cook until it has almost evaporated. Stir in the heavy cream and reduce it by half. Pour in a 1/2 cup of the teriyaki sauce. Add the mussels, cover, and cook until the mussels have opened, about 5 minutes.
• Put 2 scallions on each serving plate and arrange a piece of fish on top. Add a few mussels and spoon over some of the cream sauce. Drizzle each plate with extra teriyaki sauce and garnish with chervil leaves.

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a large pot of well-salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer gently until tender, about 20 minutes.
• While potatoes simmer, trim, bone, and cut the cod fillets across into 2-inch pieces.
• Drain potatoes well and return to the pot. Add a pinch of cayenne, salt, and 4 tablespoons butter. Mash until smooth.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease 2 individual-sized casserole or baking dishes with 1 tablespoon butter. Place both dishes on a baking sheet.
• Transfer about 2/3 cup of the mashed potatoes into each of the prepared dishes. Smooth out evenly and make a shallow depression with a spoon down the middle. Set aside.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a deep 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the shallots in the hot butter with a pinch of salt until they just start to turn golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add cream, lemon zest, and a pinch of cayenne, and bring to a simmer. Add cod and wait for the sauce to come back to a simmer. Cook for 1 minute, while basting with the sauce; turn and cook for 1 minute more.
• Pour in lemon juice and turn off the heat; stir for about 30 seconds.
• Divide the pieces of cod over the potato. Add enough sauce to just cover the fish and return the pan to the stove.
• Bring sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the sauce reduces and thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in tarragon.
• Spoon the thickened sauce over the cod. Add a light dusting of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until cod is cooked through and the sauce is browned and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Soak the salt cod in the refrigerator 24 hours (or better yet, 48 hours) in several changes of cold water. (Keep the bowl covered so the whole refrigerator doesn't smell of fish.) Drain the cod, rinse, and drain well again. Remove bones and skin, and with your fingers pull the cod into small shreds; set aside.
• In a large heavy skillet set over very low heat, sauté the onion in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil about 15 minutes until very soft and golden, stirring now and then. Meanwhile, stir-fry the potatoes in the remaining oil in a second large heavy skillet over moderately low heat about 2 minutes until they begin to color; add the water, turn the heat to its lowest point, cover, and cook 15 minutes; set off the heat and reserve, still covered. As soon as the onions are softly golden, mix in the cod and 1/2 cup of the milk, cover, and cook over lowest heat, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
• While the cod cooks, prepare a white sauce: Melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan over moderate heat and blend in the flour; add the remaining milk and heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth - about 3 minutes. Blend in the white pepper and reserve.
• When the cod has only 10 minutes more to cook, preheat the oven to very hot (450°F.). When the cod is done, mix in the potatoes, white sauce, and cream. Transfer to a buttered shallow 3-quart earthenware casserole or au gratin pan. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, lower the oven temperature to moderate (350°F.), and bake uncovered 25 minutes longer or until bubbly and tipped with brown. Serve at once with a tartly dressed salad of crisp greens and, to complete the meal, a light dessert of fresh fruit. Portuguese wines available here that would complement the salt cod nicely would be such authoritative dry reds as Dão Grão Vasco or a well aged Colares. The Portuguese always prefer to sip tinto (red wine) with bacalhau, which they consider too rich and heavy for white wines.

Steps:

• For succotash:
• Cook beans in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon or strainer, transfer beans to colander; reserve cooking water. Rinse beans with cold water. If using fava beans, peel off outer skins and discard. Add corn kernels to reserved cooking water and cook until just tender, about 1 minute. Drain. Return beans and corn to same saucepan. Mix in tomato, Italian parsley and extra-virgin olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Let stand covered at room temperature. Rewarm over low heat before serving.)
• For creamed corn:
• Place 4 cups corn kernels in processor. Puree until liquid is released from corn, about 3 minutes (mixture will still be coarse). Transfer pureed corn to strainer set over large measuring cup. Press on solids in strainer to extract at least 3/4 cup juice; discard solids. Transfer corn juice to medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat just until juice begins to thicken, about 45 seconds (do not boil or juice may curdle). Add remaining 3 cups corn kernels and whipping cream to saucepan and stir just until corn is heated through, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove creamed corn from heat; cover to keep warm.
• Pour enough vegetable oil into heavy large skillet to reach depth of 1/4 inch. Heat over high heat. Sprinkle cod fillets with salt and pepper. Add fillets to skillet and cook until golden brown and center of each fillet is just opaque, about 4 minutes per side. Divide creamed corn equally among 4 plates. Top each serving with sautéed cod fillet. Spoon succotash atop each fillet and serve.

Steps:

• Saute the chopped bacon and onion for about 10 minutes over medium heat.
• Add salt and peppered cod to pan, moving the bacon and onion mixture around the fillets, reduce heat a little and turn the cod over in about 5 minutes.
• Continue to cook the cod until it flakes easy.
• Remove the cod, bacon, onions to a warm serving dish, and set aside, covering the fillets.
• Reduce the heat to low and add flour and butter, stirring to brown the flour.
• Add the milk and stir until it makes a thick brown gravy.
• Ladle gravy over fillets and bacon, onion mixture.
• Potatoes or rice go well with this dish.
• Have the fishmonger cut the blood line from the fish-and I use an applewood smoked thick bacon.