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Steam 12 to 18 small potatoes in butter until almost tender. Brown 12 small white onions in butter, cook until nearly done. Clean the fish, arrange it in a greased baking pan, and sprinkle it with salt, freshly ground black pepper, thyme, and powdered bay leaf. Surround it with the potatoes and onions and pour over it the melted butter in which the vegetables were cooked. Bake at 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8), basting every 5 minutes with the pan juices. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon slices.

BAKED COD WITH CREAM

Use either a whole fish or a large center cut.

Clean the fish, place it on an oiled baking pan, and dot heavily with butter. Add 1 cup of fish broth or chicken broth. Season to taste and bake at 425° according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 8). Baste often with the pan juices. Arrange the fish on a hot platter and surround it with a ring of sautéed potatoes.

Thicken the pan juices with beurre manié (page 475) and add 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Pour the sauce over the fish.

POACHED COD

In Norway poached cod is usually cooked in salt water and served with an egg sauce and boiled potatoes, and always with red wine.

You may poach a whole fish, a center cut, steaks, or fillets. Wrap the fish in cheesecloth and poach in boiling salted water or in a court bouillon (page 18) according to the Canadian cooking theory (page 12). Serve with lemon butter (page 31), Hollandaise sauce (pages 25–26), or an egg sauce made by adding chopped hard-cooked egg and a bit of sherry to sauce béchamel (page 23).

CODFISH CUSTARD

11/2 teaspoons cornstarch

11/2 cups milk

2 eggs, well beaten

1/4 cup melted butter

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

11/2 pounds cod, poached and flaked

Dissolve the cornstarch in the milk, add the eggs, butter, seasonings to taste, and the fish. Pour into a buttered casserole and bake at 350° for about 40 minutes, or until the custard is not quite set in the middle. This is a Rhode Island dish and is often served with their native johnnycake.

COD LOAF

2 cups cooked, flaked cod

1/4 cup each chopped onion, celery, green pepper

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 cup sifted toasted crumbs

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon tarragon

2 eggs, separated

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup melted butter

Combine the fish, vegetables, nuts, parsley, crumbs, salt, pepper, and tarragon. Beat the egg yolks and add them to the mixture with the milk and melted butter. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites and pour into a buttered mold or pan. Set in a pan of hot water and bake at 375° for about 40 minutes, or until set. Unmold on a hot plate and serve with egg sauce (page 24) or Hollandaise sauce (pages 25–26).

COD FLORENTINE

Poach 1 fillet of cod for each serving in boiling salted water. Arrange the poached fillets on a bed of chopped cooked spinach lightly flavored with nutmeg. Top with sauce Mornay (page 22), sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, and run under the broiler for a few minutes to brown.

COLD POACHED COD

Cold poached cod is delicious if it is firm and not overcooked. Serve it with mayonnaise, sauce gribiche (pages 36–37), sauce rémoulade (page 35), tartar sauce (pages 35–36), or Russian dressing (page 35).

If you wish to serve the fish in aspic, follow the directions on pages 18–20.

Salt Cod

My favorite codfish dishes are based on the salt cod. In preparing salt cod, it is always necessary, of course, to remove the salt. There are two ways to do this. You may soak the fish for several hours; or you may cover it with cold water, bring the water to a boil very slowly, and then rinse the fish in cold water. Here are recipes that demonstrate the versatility of the salt cod.

POACHED CODFISH WITH VARIOUS SAUCES

Soak 1 pound of salt codfish in cold water for 4 hours. Rinse the fish thoroughly. Place it in a skillet or shallow saucepan and cover it with cold water. Bring slowly to a boil and let it boil feebly for