Copyright 2015 by Jacqueline Peppard, all rights reserved.

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Grocery shopping in the after work rush, again, sigh! I am in a dilemma and deliberating on what to buy, and all I really want to do is get the heck out of the store. Mental notes – need to stay within the budget, yet get dinner on fast – I am hungry! The price of grass fed beef had gone up ferociously, and I was so utterly bored with chicken. Hmmm, drifting over to the fish department, maybe I can find something there? Awesome, cod fish and a screaming deal at $3.99 a pound – done! Utter relief, now I can go home.

This recipe is simple to prepare yet elegant. Works great for a special dinner occasion or a quick dinner after work.

When buying cod, look for Alaskan wild caught. Buying from this fishery will ensure you are buying fish with a high eco rating, containing substantial omega 3 oil and moderate levels of mercury. Cod is sold in various ways, and sometimes the most economical cod is sold as one large fillet. Buy enough to cut into four 6-7 inch portions. One caveat, when fish is selling for a rock bottom price, I always ask them to let me do a smell check. If it has a strong odor from 12 inches away, walk away, it is too old.

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Serves 4

Four Cod Fillets:

Rinse cod fillets and dry completely. Generously coat each one with olive oil.

Heat your grill to high until it reaches 425 – 475. All grills cook differently, so I would recommend a lower heat with your first attempt.

Grill fish with lid closed for 3 minutes on both sides (depends on how thick your fillets are, but better safe than rubbery and dried out) For fillets less than one inch thick, cook 2 minutes each side. They will continue to cook after removed from heat.

Lemon Butter Sauce:

6 TBS butter, divided

1 TBS olive oil

2/3 cups fresh lemon juice; Meyers are best, but if not available, substitute 1/3 cup lemon juice with fresh squeezed orange juice.

2 large cloves garlic minced

4 scallions sliced diagonally. Retain about 2 TBS of green portion to use as garnish.

Directions:

Melt 2 TBS butter and 1 TBS olive oil in large skillet on medium high;

Add garlic and white portions of the sliced scallions. Set aside super green portions to add later.

Sauté until slightly fragrant (about 1 minute)

Add 2/3 cup lemon juice.

Cook another minute to heat lemon and fuse flavors. Remove from heat.

Stir in green portions of scallions and let them heat about 1 minute.

Add remaining 4 TBS butter, stirring as it melts, so it emulsifies with lemon mixture.

Let cool another 4 minutes, stirring periodically. You will start to see the butter thicken the sauce as it cools.

Ladle sauce over fish, garnish with lemon zest and remaining scallion greens. Serve immediately.

Variation: If you don’t have a grill, no problem, bake oiled fillets uncovered in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before ladling warm sauce over them.

For those of you with onion allergies, instead of scallions and garlic use fennel bulb and its lacy leaves.

Substitute 1/3 cup lemon juice with a dry white wine.

Eliminate the scallions and use 1/2 jar of capote capers (these are the large ones).

Tip: Use squeezed lemon peel and rind cut up into 1/2 inch slices and run in garbage disposal to freshen.

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