Cod Peace

It was the first Saturday in September and things felt a little subdued as they often do at this time of year. This was because it was the first weekend after the August Bank Holiday and therefore a sign that summer was ending and we were looking towards Autumn already. Still there was much to enjoy as I managed a mild morning walk and just avoided the monsoon-like rain that started just as I dashed indoors.

That evening I had trip round to the house of one of my oldest friends lined up but before that the heavy rain meant I couldn't get out into the garden and I had more time on my hands to do indoor activities. That said I took the opportunity to write a few blog posts as well as put down a few thoughts about events from my past that might end up as an autobiography one day.

Quickly enough tea time rolled around and it was time to cook. After the success of the Sea Bass recently I decided on another fish dish. This time it was Cod. Often Cod is associated with nothing but fish and chips or fish pie and normally isn't used for anything else in cooking.

However I found a recipe for it that used Sweet Potatoes, Leeks and a sweet and savoury dressing. The ingredients you need to make this one are:

2 Large Cod fillets.
Half a large Sweet Potato.
1 Leek.

For the dressing:

Half a red onion.
2 Cloves of Garlic.
The juice of 6 Limes.
The juice of 1 Orange.
1 Teaspoon of Chilli Powder.
1 Teaspoon of Mint.
1 Teaspoon of Dill.
1 Teaspoon of Coriander.
1 Teaspoon of Parsley.

Today's album was R.E.M's 1984 offering "Reckoning" the album was recorded by the band when they still had a cult following, but before they turned the world into their cult following, which was something that happened later on in the 1980s. It features many great songs with spindly yet jangling guitar lines and the album has a very basic feel that makes it sound like it was recorded in a garage, these are all things that give it it's special charm.

I cut up the sweet potato after peeling it and as it was a large sweet potato I only used half of it and I cut it into strips around 1 centimetre thick to create Sweet Potato chips . I cut the leek into thin circular pieces and laid them with the Sweet Potatoes on a high-sided baking tray lined with foil and Sunflower Oil. I then cooked all this on Gas Mark 7 for 20 minutes.

I then took the dish out of the oven and turned everything  over and cooked it for another 15 minutes.

In the meantime I made a dressing by finely slicing into the tiniest pieces possible the Red Onion and the Garlic. I put these ingredients in a bowl with the herbs and added the juice of the Limes and the Orange and a little zest from one of the limes. I mixed all these ingredients together thoroughly and left them to stand in the bowl.

Then after the 15 minutes were up I took the Sweet Potatoes and Leek out of the oven and put the Cod fillets atop them. I then topped the Cod  with the dressing and let some of it run down onto the Sweet Potatoes and the Leek. I reduced the oven's temperature to gas mark 4.5, put the dish back in the oven, covered the Cod with cooking foil and cooked it for a further 22 minutes.

When I tried this dish the dressing was a delicious and flavoursome mix of sweet and savoury and the fish was tender yet well-cooked despite this. Definitely an innovative way to eat Cod instead of in batter with chips and mushy peas.

Cod- but not as we traditionally know it.