French: Cod with White Wine Sauce and Pea Puree

Recipe by Paul Young <info@cooking-with-paul.com>

(serves 2)

Ingredients:

• ½ cup peas, defrosted
• 2 cod filets (about 6 oz each)
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 2 tablespoons red onions, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice, divided
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar, plus more as needed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup dry white wine (chardonnay or similar)
• ¼ cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley or chives (optional)

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven for broiling
2. Cook the peas: steam or microwave for about 5 minutes
3. Cook fish: heat ghee in a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat, add fish with “bottom” side down; cook until bottom is golden (about 2 minutes); tip: using a spoon, baste top of fish with hot ghee from the pan at least a few times
4. Sprinkle top with salt and pepper, broil until golden (about another 2 minutes); turn off oven, leave oven door open
5. Carefully transfer fish to serving plates, but retain pan juices; place plates with fish back in warm oven to keep warm
6. Add butter, onions, and garlic to skillet, cook over medium heat until onions are transparent
7. Transfer half of the skillet’s contents to a mini-blender for the pea puree
8. Make the pea puree: add peas plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice to the mini-blender and puree until well blended (tip: add a splash of water if needed to speed up the process)
9. Adjust seasoning: add agave nectar, salt, and pepper to taste; set aside
10. Make the sauce: add white wine to skillet with remaining onion and garlic; cook over high heat until sauce is reduced by half (about 3 minutes)
11. Strain sauce into a sauce pan, then slowly whisk in cream under low heat
12. Add remaining teaspoon of lemon juice, agave nectar, and salt to taste
13. Finish with butter: add the butter cubes one by one while stirring constantly (the French call this process monter au beurre)
14. To serve: garnish each plate with a smear of pea puree, then spoon sauce over each fish; sprinkle with chopped parsley (if desired)

Note: This recipe works well with any white-fleshed fish (flounder, halibut, pollack, etc). The French particularly like a hard-to-find fish called St Pierre (aka John Dory).