Tonight’s dinner was cod and rice.
Fish Pizza of Roasted Cod Spiked with Chorizo, Tomatoes, and Mushrooms (Not really pizza, but it looks like pizza.)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for parchment paper
Whole cod fillet (3 pounds), thin tail section removed
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 ounces dry chorizo, quartered lengthwise and cut into very thin slices
2 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into thin slices
5 button mushrooms, stemmed, cleaned, and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 scallions, trimmed and very thinly sliced crosswise, white and light-green parts only
1 lemon cut in half
1/4 cup store-bought clam juice
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush with oil.
- Place cod on baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Place chorizo, tomatoes, and mushrooms in alternating rows across the fish until completely covered. Top with garlic and sprinkle generously with cayenne. Sprinkle rosemary, thyme, parsley, and scallions over the fillet; season with salt.
- Drizzle fish with 6 tablespoons olive oil. Roast, occasionally spooning accumulated oil over the fish, about 5 minutes. Rotate baking sheet, and pour clam juice over cod. Continue roasting until a metal skewer inserted into the fish for 5 seconds goes in easily and feels hot when touched to your lip, 5 to 6 minutes.
- To serve, spoon any accumulated oil over the fish. Squeeze lemon over fish. Lift parchment paper on one side and gently slide fish onto a hot serving platter.
Rice Pilaf
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, minced
• 2 pinches kosher salt
• 2 cups long grain rice
• 2 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 2 strips orange zest
• Pinch of saffron strands, steeped in 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• Golden raisins and pistachios for garnish
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a heavy, wide, lidded pan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onion, red pepper, and kosher salt. Sweat the onions and peppers until aromatic, stirring constantly. Add the rice and stir to coat. Continue stirring until rice smells nutty. Add chicken broth, orange zest, saffron and water, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Stir once, then cover pan with moistened dish towel (or tea towel). Place lid on pan and fold towel corners over lid. Bake for 15 minutes. Then rest at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes without removing the cover. Meanwhile, simmer peas in salted water until heated through or heat in a microwave. Remove lid from rice and turn out onto a platter. Add peas and fluff with a large fork. Add raisins and pistachios.
I baked the rice first and while it was resting I baked the fish. The timing worked well.