Cooking for Two - Bruce Weinstein [45]
2 or 3 garlic cloves, slivered
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1. Rub the cod fillet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil; gently massage the salt and pepper into the flesh. Set aside.
2. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F. Heat a medium oven-safe skillet or sauté pan over low heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the garlic all at once, then cook for 2 minutes, taking care not to brown the garlic. Raise the heat to medium and lay the wet greens in the skillet. Toss them once or twice, to get the garlic strewn throughout the leaves, then cover the pan and steam the greens for about 3 minutes, or until they are wilted but not limp.
3. Uncover the pan and place the prepared cod fillet on top of the greens. Place the pan in the oven and roast the cod fillet and greens, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, until the cod is cooked through. To tell, either cut it open, or insert a thin dinner knife into the thickest part of the fillet, hold the knife in the flesh for 10 seconds, then remove it and touch its side to your lips, taking care not to cut yourself. The knife blade should feel warm (for a firmer fillet) or hot (for a fillet cooked through).
4. Remove the pan from the oven (be careful—it’s quite hot), drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the cod fillet and greens while they’re still in the pan, and serve immediately.
SNAPPER FILLETS SAUTÉED WITH ORANGE AND PECANS makes 2 light servings
Since the fillets are placed on top of salad greens, then dressed with a sauce from the pan, this easy, fresh-tasting sauté is something like a composed salad, ready in minutes. If you want a simpler dish, substitute a small 4-ounce can of orange sections, packed in water, drained and rinsed, along with 1 tablespoon orange juice for the fresh orange supremes. You can also substitute any number of thin fillets for the snapper, including talapia, orange roughy, or trout.
2 skinless snapper fillets (about 6 ounces each), checked over for bones
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 cups mixed salad greens, preferably baby greens (about 4 ounces)
1 medium orange
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced into rings
2 tablespoons pecan pieces
1 teaspoon Champagne vinegar, or white wine vinegar
1. Season the fillets with ¼ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper; set them aside. Arrange half the greens on each of two dinner plates; set them aside as well.
2. Cut ¼ inch off the top and bottom of the orange, so that it will sit flat. Stand it on a cutting board, then cut down the sides of the fruit with a paring knife, following the fruit’s natural curve, thereby removing the rind and the white pith underneath. You may also cut off a small amount of the flesh. Once the rind and pith are removed, hold the fruit in one hand over a small bowl and use a paring knife to cut between the membranes, letting the orange supremes and any juice fall into the bowl. Once all the supremes are removed, discard any remaining pith. You should have about ½cup supremes and juice.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of the oil, then slip the fish fillets into the pan. Cook for about 1 minute, then gently turn with a wide metal spatula and cook for about 2 more minutes. Once the fish is cooked through, transfer the fillets to the two prepared plates, placing them on top of the greens.
4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan, then slide in the red onion rings and soften for about 1 minute, stirring often. Sprinkle in the pecans and sauté for 1 more minute, just until they begin to brown. Add the orange supremes and any juice, the vinegar, and the remaining salt and pepper. Cook for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is bubbling and slightly reduced, then pour as a dressing over each of the two plates, coating the fish and the greens. Serve immediately.
SOUTHWESTERN GLAZED SALMON makes 2 servings
Mayonnaise makes an easy but decadent glaze for salmon fillets—much like hollandaise