Broiled Cod and Amalfi Coast Lemon Pasta
SIMPLY ELEGANT
Broiled Cod and Amalfi Coast Pasta | Dara O’Brien
By Dara O’Brien
Creative Director, Lake Isle Press
How do you spot an exceptional home cook? I can think of a few markers: they know their way around a spice rack and keep their knives sharp; their pantry makes you hungry just looking at it; and they can build a meal around just about any ingredient and cook without a recipe.
Here’s another one: a great cook can confidently buy and cook fresh seafood, including fish (unless they are vegan, but that’s another story).
Many novice or infrequent cooks are intimidated by fish. Perhaps because for the most part seafood is pricier than many other proteins and they don’t want to mess it up. Plus, since it’s more delicate than, say chicken, it’s easier to overcook and can fall apart. And then there’s the importance of recognizing the quality of fish, and knowing how to tell if it’s fresh. That can be a challenge if your regular grocer stocks just frozen or pre-packaged seafood.
I used to avoid cooking fish because of all of the above, but after slowly experimenting with new recipes, I have come to see that it’s really pretty easy to buy and to cook. So far I’ve used only fresh seafood, but as I’m gaining confidence I’m ready to try some frozen options. I’m talking about you, Trader Joe’s Sea Scallops.
I recently made this recipe for Broiled Cod and Amalfi Coast Lemon Linguini from “Rachael Ray’s Open House Cookbook,” published by Lake Isle Press for a small dinner party. The book focuses on recipes for easy entertaining, and this recipe fit the bill. I did everything I could ahead, from putting a pot of water on the stove for the pasta (I used gluten-free tagliatelle instead of linquini) to zesting and juicing the lemons.
This was a breeze to make, and the fish was delicious. I used good fresh cod, and the simple addition of salt, butter, and mayo and a fast broil was all it needed. I cut the fish into pieces and since they were a bit thick turned them after about a minute, and cooked them for 8 minutes total. The lemon butter mixture lends a tartness to the sauce that is balanced by the cream and especially the cheese. You might even want to add a little extra cheese, depending on your taste. I garnished the meal with fresh parsley, and paired it with a green salad.
The fact that the fish came out beautifully is due far more to the recipe than my culinary skills; I am still not anywhere near an exceptional home cook. But I have made it past the novice stage. I can even throw things together once in a while without a recipe. However, some of my knives are mighty dull these days, so clearly I have some work to do.
BROILED COD AND AND AMALFI COAST LEMON LINGUINI
Click here for printable recipe.
The Himalayan mountains produce the most aromatic red rice in the world. Red rice takes longer to cook because it has more bran than white rice. Red rice is available in the U.S., mostly in health food stores and gourmet shops.
Feeds 4-6
INGREDIENTS
BROILED COD
2½ pounds fresh cod (see Note), 1 inch thick (Don't let them give you tails.)
Coarse salt, to taste
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons good mayonnaise, sugar free, such as Hellmann's
¼ cup water
Chopped fresh parsley or fresh chives to garnish
Lemon slices (optional), to garnish
Note: Fresh fish is firm and shows no signs of breaking.
AMALFI LEMON SAUCE
1 stick butter
8 tablespoons lemon juice (the juice of 4 lemons)
Zest of 3 lemons (2 tablespoons packed, grated rind)
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 cup grated Parmigiano cheese
1 pound linguini or tagliatelle, cooked until al dente while cooking sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (half a bunch)
PREPARATION
Preheat broiler to 500°F.
Wash and dry fish. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Mix butter and mayonnaise and spread mixture over fish. Place a splash of water on a shallow pan and set fish on it. Set aside and start sauce.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add lemon juice and zest and simmer 3 or 4 minutes. Whisk in cream and half the cheese. Bring just to a simmer and remove from heat.
Place fish under broiler, 5 inches from heat, and cook 6 to 8 minutes, removing when golden and firm. Transfer fish carefully to serving plate and garnish with chives and lemon slices.
Toss drained al dente pasta with lemon sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving platter. Top pasta with remaining cheese and parsley.Rinse the rice in cold water and drain; soak it in cold water for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Recipe from “Rachael Ray’s Open House Cookbook” by Rachael Ray, published by Lake Isle Press, 2006
Broiled Cod and Amalfi Coast Lemon Linguini
from “Rachael Ray’s Open House Cookbook” by Rachael Ray,
Lake Isle Press, 2006
OTHER RECIPES BY RACHAEL RAY
Chicken and Grapes with Creamy Mustard Sauce and Couscous
Green Minestrone
Pasta Carbonara
Pasta With Citrus Cream Sauce
This collection of recipes geared toward easy entertaining is a great resource for casual parties, Sunday suppers, and parties for kids by kids. Whether its a buffet with Bacon-Wrapped Scallops or Close-to-Grandma Betar’s Stuffed Grape Leaves, or perhaps Pasta alla Norma or Smoked Pork Chops with Apple and Onion, the same principles apply: keep it simple, delicious, and fun.
As is true for all of Rachael’s recipes, these inspired recipes call for easy-to-find ingredients and draws on international cuisines. Just as important, they’re sure to get rave reviews from family and friends.