Tarragon and Cod

Tonight I could have been lazy very easily. I was already dressed up from going to my friends opening of her gallery for her amazing clothes. VioletMuse.com and she’s done an amazing job and it was fun to get really cute to go support her because she rocks. So driving home I had the options in front of me to eat out, take out or go to Safeway and actually cook something. So Safeway won and as I was wondering around I ended up picking out Cod, shallots, red potatoes, and zucchini squash. Sometimes when I leave Safeway I feel overwhelmed. Like I’m doing too much to be cooking alone. Wrong.

Cooking is something very therapeutic for me. Most people on a Friday night would be going out even if they ended up in a bar alone at the end of the night still feeling lonely.  For me actually going to the store and picking out something random to cook and watching a movie with a glass of wine is a step away from my busy life and a step into something that I want to be amazing at for the one I love someday.

It takes times like these to find your passion with food. When you have just you, a kitchen and raw ingredients it should be easy cook. It takes something inside you to go home and cook alone, if you haven’t found that yet. I suggest you try…. ; )

So tonight I started by preparing everything. I cut up one red potato with some red onion, parley flakes and a touch of the herb grinder and let it go. Stirring occasionally.

Cut my zucchini squash cut up slightly thinly and into a pan with some extra virgin olive oil, black pepper, salt and paprika ready to turn on…sitting in a nonstick pan. As soon as my fish hit’s the pan…the heat hits the squash!

Cod: took a zip lock bag and in went Panko breadcrumbs and a lemon pepper seasoning. Rinse the fish, pat it dry and shake it in the bag till those crumbs stick! Heat your non stick pan and throw in the fish (gently; ) at 4 minutes each side. Your potato and veggie will be done by the time your fish is so turn the heat to low as possible without being off and let both simmer….

Remember fish isn’t something you can walk away from, so be stirring the others and sipping wine while you watch the fish and turn only once halfway through cooking.

After evenly cooking both sides - Remove your Cod and cover with tin fowl and add a tablespoon of butter with a thin cut shallot and thin almost minced garlic clove and rough chopped tarragon and basically make a sauce…cook it slow. All three ingredients are sensitive to heat.  So it doesn’t take much and you have something to drizzle over your cod and two decent sides.

I normally never eat potatoes, but a little is ok, especially when it’s a good starch and your only cooking it in a little olive oil. The fish will knock your socks off! Lots of flavor and a crispy crust from the panko and the little sauce you make will blow your mind and not feel heavy at all.

So you may be cooking alone tonight, but you can keep this one in your back pocket for when you may be entertaining…more than one.  Thanks for reading my many passions…

I hope it’s something you try and make your own…