We love fish, but after a while it all starts to taste the same. Smoked, grilled, grilled on cedar planks, steamed, it all gets boring after a while. Sure, you can make heavy sauces and such but that’s just masking the fish. I wanted something new that would allow me to have a new taste, but still know I was enjoying a good piece of fish. So last night I tried steaming some cod on pineapple, and the results were quite tasty. This is really drop dead simple to make. Give it a try, I really think you’ll like this one.
Shopping List:
Alaskan cod or halibut filets: 5-6 ounces per serving with each filet about 1.5-2″ thick
1 whole fresh pineapple
Good white wine
Large container of fresh cubed melon pieces
Mint
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Peel the pineapple and cut into vertical slabs about 1″ thick. You want to make sure they are just a little bigger than the size of the filets. Place the slabs into a deep baking dish, then salt and pepper each side of a filet and place on top of the “plank.” Add wine to the baking dish, about 1/8″ deep. Cover with aluminum foil, making sure the foil is not touching the fish, and place in the oven for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until the fish flakes nicely.
While the fish cooks, dice up the melon cubes into a small dice and place into a bowl or suitable container. Add a splash of silver tequila, toss and place in the fridge.
When the fish is cooked, remove the dish from the oven and let sit covered. Take about 1-2 mint leaves per serving and cut into ribbons. Zest a lime, then cut the lime into quarters. To plate take a filet and gently move to a small plate. Then take the plank it was sitting on and using a slotted spatula, lift and let drain. After it’s drained, place the plank on a dinner plate, and gently place the filet on top. Squeeze a little lime juice on top, then using a large spoon place the melon “chutney” on top of the filet, and down one side. Sprinkle with a little mint and lime zest and that’s it. The colors in this dish are just fantastic, so make sure you use a plate that shows them off properly.
For a side, I served an Insalata Caprese, using very ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, a local artisan mozzarella, drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Just a perfect summer salad. Other sides that would work would be a nice creamy risotto, grilled asparagus or a nice small pasta dressed with just olive oil, pine nuts and garlic. For the wine we had a nice crisp Pinot grigio that I used for cooking. Really locked the dish together in my opinion.
Note: If you plan on trying to grill this, make sure the grill side of the pineapple gets a heavy dose of olive oil. The sugar in pineapple can cause it to really stick to grills.
Oh, one last thing, unlike cooking on a cedar plank, this plank is not only edible, it is extremely tasty. Like having dessert as you eat the main course. Can’t beat that, eh?
Buon Appetito
Gregor
