Cod with Carmelized Onions and Mushrooms

This recipe was inspired by Ed's and my recent trip to Spain. At La Table in Perpignan Ed had turbot and porcini -  with "net crusted" potatoes. And, at Naia Restaurante Bistro in Madrid I had confit cod with carmelized onion and boletus (a kind of mushroom) ali-oli sauce.  For some reason, although I cook a lot of cod, it had never occurred to me to serve it with a mushroom sauce.  And, although I serve cod on crisp potatoes (Cod with Roasted Veggies), it had not occurred to me to serve it on a mashed potato base.  For the record "net crusted" potatoes are mashed/whipped potatoes covered with a pastry crust lattice.  Ed has encouraged me to add this to my version of the dish but it is not going to happen!

Serves 2, scale accordingly.


Prep and start cooking the sauce and potatoes (see below) so that both will be done at the same time as the fish. If scaling up for a dinner group, sauce could be made ahead and reheated.

COOK THE FISH

On the top of a broiling pan that has been lightly coated with olive oil place:

2/3 - 3/4 pound fresh cod

Sprinkle the fish with:

1 t herbes de Provence

Bake at 400 degrees F, approximately ~15 minutes*, depending on thickness of fish, until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. Note: In his cookbook Fish Mark Bittman advises starting the fish on broil and cooking less time,   “(about 8 to 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured to the thickest point). If the fish is cooking too quickly, turn off the broiler and finish cooking with the oven set at 500 degrees F. Cod begins to “gape” – its sections separate – when it is done, is opaque throughout, and will offer no resistance to a thin-bladed knife; avoid overcooking."

CHECK AFTER 10 minutes to see how done the fish looks (see criteria above).

MAKE THE SAUCE:


In a small sautee pan heat:


1 T olive oil 
1/2 large sweet onion thinly sliced (cut rings in half)


Cook until the onions are wilted, about 2-3 minutes and then add:


1 t sugar


Cook an additional 2-3 minutes until the onion is browned, then add:


6-8 mushrooms thinly sliced (I use shitake, crimini or baby bella)
Fresh sage, several leaves, coarsely chopped


Cook until the mushrooms are soft.


Then add: 


4 T  Demi-Glace/Demi-Glace with Olive Oil Roux and cook until heated through. If you have no premade Demi Glace on hand, in a small pan combine:

1 T Demi-Glace Gold
1/4 c boiling water water

Wisk over medium heat until all of the demi-glace is dissolved and sauce is smooth. Then add this to the onion-mushroom mixture.


COOK THE POTATOES: 


In a small pan half filled with boiling water put:


2-3 small potatoes, cut in half 
1 large clove garlic (do not peel)


Cook just until potatoes are tender, drain well, squeeze pulp out of garlic skin into potatoes and mash with a potato masher.


ASSEMBLE FISH, SAUCE AND POTATOES:


Divide potatoes between 2 plates, top with 1/2 of the cod and then 1/2 of the sauce. Garnish with fresh sage.

VARIATION - NOVEMBER 2012

I had a little leftover Mushroom Risotto (made with sage and no cheese) and spotted a nice piece of cod in the market. I warmed the risotto adding a bit more chicken stock and serverd the cod and the mushroom sage sauce over the risotto.






Reviewed 5/22/2017