Fish for Dinner: Roasted Cod with Citrus-Tarragon Sauce

The first few times cod appeared among the options for the weekly Hooked on Fish delivery of sustainable, fresh fish I was surprised, having thought that cod was one of the badly overfished species we hear so much about, and in truth, it is. Atlantic cod, that is. Since then I’ve learned about the other species of cod in the genus Gadus: Pacific Cod and Greenland Cod. There are also a bunch of fish that are not from that genus but have “cod” in their names anyway. Whew! That’s a lotta cod.

We received a very good one a few weeks ago – Skrei cod. From the Hooked on Fish website:
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Skrei Cod - Line-caught; Norway

This is the beginning of the season for the celebrated skrei (pronounced SKRAY) cod (the word skrei is derived the Old Norse verb a skrida meaning "to migrate"). Beginning in January, millions of cod swim from the nutrient-rich Barents Sea to the northern coast of Norway. There are very strict rules about age and size governing its capture. All skrei is caught by actual family-owned day boats (meaning they leave at dawn and return at night) making the fish super-fresh. Further, it is packaged within 12 hours of being caught. True skrei is firm, somewhat thicker than Alaskan cod, and tender, with an excellent flavor. It also is one of the highest in nutrition of all whitefish. MSC Certified.

​The Occasion: Friday night dinner with Ilise and MIL Ina. To accommodate our evening plans we needed a fast, easy, and delicious dish. This one fit the bill perfectly.

How We Prepared It:

• Roasted Skrei Cod with Citrus-Tarragon Sauce – inspired by a recipe from Ellie Krieger
• Wild Rice Pilaf
• Mixed Vegetables

​Keep reading for the recipe, photos, and a fishin’ tune for your listening pleasure.

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Credit: Dolapo Folalo

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Click the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

Printable Recipe- Roasted Skrei Cod with Citrus-Tarragon Sauce
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Roasted Skrei Cod with Citrus-Tarragon Sauce
Recipe only slightly adapted from one by Ellie Krieger
 
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Four 6-ounce cod fillets, with skin or without, either is fine

Cook’s Note: Original recipe calls for halibut; you can use any mild, white flaky fish

• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 red grapefruit
• 1 navel orange
• 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves

 
DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Brush bottom of a shallow baking dish with 1-1/2 teaspoons of the oil. Arrange fish in the dish, skin side down, then brush tops of fillets with another 1-1/2 teaspoons of the oil.

Cook’s Note: Next time I might select a baking sheet with parchment paper (like a jellyroll pan or cookie sheet with a lip) instead of the Pyrex baking dish I used this time. A lot of liquid accumulated in the bottom, which might disperse/cook off easier with the large, flat, metal cooking surface.

• Season the fish with ¼ teaspoon of the salt and all of the pepper.
• Roast until just opaque, about 10 minutes per inch of thickness.
• If fish is done before the sauce is ready, keep it warm in a warming drawer or covered on the stovetop (but off the heat).

For the sauce:

• Cut off the top and bottom of the grapefruit and orange, then remove the pith and peel of each by standing the fruit on one of its cut ends; follow the curve of the fruit with your knife, slicing downward around the fruit. Then, working over a bowl so the citrus segments fall into the bowl and you catch all the juices, use a paring knife to remove each segment of the grapefruit and orange from its membrane.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the shallots and cook stirring until softened and beginning to brown on the edges, 2-3 minutes.
• Stir in the wine; cook for 2-4 minutes or until it has reduced by about half.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low; stir in the butter, honey and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt until well blended. Add the citrus segments and their accumulated juices, then sprinkle the tarragon over the sauce.
• Shake the pan or stir gently once to distribute, and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes.
• Serve the fish topped with the sauce.

The Verdict:

Good not great, mostly because of all the liquid extruded as the fish roasted. Didn’t affect the flavors but was aesthetically less than ideal. I should have either drained the fish on paper towels before serving or picked a different pan (as detailed above in the Cook’s Note comment). The dish is definitely worth trying again because it meets the weeknight cooking trifecta – fast, easy and tasty flavors.

I really like to roast fish, it’s one of my favorite cooking techniques for fish. Fairly foolproof in terms of not overcooking the fish. I need that kind of safety net as I rarely have everything ready to go all at once. It’s nice to know that the fish can hang out for a few extra minutes without drying up, if necessary.

Not everyone loves the slight anise flavor of tarragon but I do, and it makes a nice companion for the citrus, wine and shallots in this dish. Oh yes, we will be making this recipe again and continuing to finesse the details. 

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