For this dish you can use fish fillets or 4 fish steaks. It’s a simple recipe of fish in a lemon-thyme dressing, or sauce. The fish can be any firmed flesh white fillets such as haddock, cod, perch, turbot, sea bass, grouper, tilapia, snapper, whatever you can find.

This is an easy baked dish. So, the next time you are in a hurry and want to prepare an easy nutritious meal full of flavor, this is it.  Note that if you’re using frozen fish fillets, the cooking time, as shown in the recipe,  is a bit longer. Regular or thawed fish fillets require less time to cook. With a side of vegetables, with a grain or potatoes, this dish will satisfy.

In past posts I’ve included lemon zest and I’ve gotten questions about how to zest a lemon.  Lemon zest is the outer yellow layer of the lemon, and when scraped from the lemon, it adds flavor to any dish. The easiest way I know to zest is by simply using a cheese grater. First, wash lemon under cold running water, and pat dry with kitchen or paper towels. Then place the lemon against the smallest holes in the grater. The larger holes are for shredding, and you want grated lemon rind. Simply move the lemon back and forth as you would with grating cheese (be careful not to grate your fingers). And that’s it, lemon zest. There are special citrus zesters out there and, if you want, you can buy one of those. But I find the cheese grater just as good.

FISH FILLETS WITH LEMON AND THYME DRESSING

Ingredients:

2 pounds fish fillets, 4 to 6 ounces each
6 tablespoons butter, divided
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 sprigs fresh lemon thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

Instructions:

1. Heat broiler to medium high. If using a broiler/oven, heat to 450 degrees F.
2.  Rinse fillets under cold running water and pat dry with pepper towels.
3.  Arrange fillets in a baking dish or pan. Broil 5 to 7 inches from the heat source for  about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and place 1/2 tablespoon butter over each fillet. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons lemon  jiuce, then season with salt and pepper. Return to oven and cook an additional 7-10 minutes for frozen fillets, or 4-6 minutes for fresh or thawed fish.
4.  While fish is cooking, add remaining butter to a saucepan with the lemon zest, remaining lemon juice and mustard. Heat gently, whisking until melted. Add the thyme and cook about 2 minutes more. Serve the fish, pouring the lemon-thyme dressing over the fillets.
   Yield: 4 servings.

At one time, dried salt cod was a popular food worldwide. It was a common staple throughout the Mediterranean basin. It was well represented in Spanish, Greek and French cuisines; but it was also integral to the native cooking of places as far flung as India and Canada. In recent times it has fallen out of favor as modern transportation and refrigeration has made seafood more available, as least in  the developed world.

The thing to remember about salt cod is just that, it has an astronomically high sodium content. This was done back in days of yore in order to preserve it during transport. As noted, that is no loner a problem. Still, there are some of us who still sing its praises. The sticking point, now as then, is that the product has to be prepared before cooking. The common practice is soaking the salt cod in cold water, and changing the water at least three times. For regular salt cod the usual soaking time is from 6 to 8 hours.  The common procedure is to leave it overnight, then drain and rinse under cold running water. The cod is then placed in a pot of boiling water to cover and simmered gently for 15 minutes or so. It is drained again and, when cool, the skin and bones are peeled way. Lastly, the fish is flaked so that its ready to cook.  Luckily, today you can buy deboned salt cod. So, at least, that part of the process can be omitted.

You probably think the preparation time involved is a hell of a bother just to eat cod. But not many good things are as inexpensive or as versatile. It can acquire any number of flavors during cooking, depending upon the condiments used. It will complement almost any vegetable or grain, even pasta. In our culture we serve it with rice, or bianda (root plants), eggplant, or tostones (green fried plantains).  With whatever side dish, or even by itself with plain bread, salt cod is extraordinary.

BACALAO GUISADO
(Stewed Codfish)

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon sage
¼ teaspoon white pepper
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 pound dried salt cod (prepared beforehand for cooking; see above)

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy frying pan or skillet. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaf, sage and white pepper. Sauté over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
2. Add tomato sauce and cook for 3 minutes longer.
3. Add flaked codfish. Lower heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
4. Serve with favorite vegetable or grain.
Yield: 4 servings.

This is a recipe that will provide a great dinner in minutes. And, if you like salmon, you’ll love this sucker.  Honey-Lime Glazed Salmon provides fillets with a flavor all its own. Glossy and sweet-tart, it’s a memorable dish. And if you like it spicy, you can add a teaspoon of chili powder to the honey-lime glaze and still wow your guests and family.

For the salmon, you can use salmon fillets, already cut. Or you can purchase one 2-pound center-cut skin-on salmon, and cut into into four pieces. Either way will render a great meal easy to prepare, and a strong flavorful crust on the salmon that will make it unforgettable.

HONEY-GLAZED SALMON

Ingredients:

4 (5-ounce) salmon fillets or 1 (2-pound) center-cut salmon, cut into 4 fillets
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 2 tablespoons juice
½ teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Wash salmon fillets under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
3.  In a small saucepan, whisk together the honey, grated lime zest, lime juice, cornstarch and cayenne pepper. Simmer over medium-high heat until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
4.  In a small bowl, combine sugar, salt, cornstarch and pepper. Rub this mixture evenly over flesh side of salmon fillets.
5.  Heat oil (until just smoking) over medium-high heat in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet (I prefer cast-iron). Lay fillets flesh side down in skillet and cook until well browned, about 1 minute. Carefully flip salmon and cook on skin side for 1 minute. Remove from heat and spoon honey-lime glaze over fillets. Transfer skillet to the oven and bake until center is translucent and tender when checked with a fork or pairing knife, about 7-10 minutes.
   Yield: 4 servings.