Oh my COD, this dish is so good

One of my favorite things to cook is fish. You will be seeing a LOT of fish recipes on this site. From the simplest flounder fillets, to my "signature salmon"* to "the best dinner you've ever made" (a spicy shrimp/mango/pineapple dish), I think fish offers endless possibilities. Last night, I decided to cook something that was completely new to me. Cod in a curried coconut sauce.

This recipe was from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything (you will see this book mentioned a lot). I find his recipes to be accessible, yet sophisticated. I am also seeing a lot of potential to vary the recipes which is a lot of fun. The recipe actually called for grouper or a more sturdy white fish. However, upon approach of the fish counter at Whole Foods, both the size and $30 per pound price tag on the grouper deterred me. I love cod, so I went for that. However, if I ever do make this recipe again I will attempt the grouper as the cod wasn't quite thick enough (the fish should be in chunks and while the cod did hold up well enough, it flaked more than I would have liked.)

Start by cutting your fish into chunks. Generously season with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Cook in two tablespoons of vegetable oil until lightly brown (about three minutes total).

Carefully remove the fish when done, pour out any remaining oil and carefully wipe out the pan. Add another tablespoon of oil and 1-2 chopped onions. Saute the onions until very soft and they are just beginning to brown. Add your spices: 1 tsp ground turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste), 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander. Let everything cook for about two minutes. Then add 2 cups of coconut milk. Interesting anecdote: I hate coconuts. Hate them. My 84-year-old grandmother makes a bunny cake for Easter every year and I insist that she leave the shredded pink coconut off one of the ears. The fact that she never remembers to do this and therefore I miss out on bunny cake isn't very important. What is important is that I refuse to eat the hard work of an elderly Italian woman because I hate coconut so. That being said, I really like coconut milk in cooking. I don't know why.

One this starts to boil, reduce heat and reduce sauce by one-third....if you want. I love a lot of sauce so I didn't want it to reduce by much. Add the fish back in, simmer until the fish is cooked through (5-10 minutes), add two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice and you are ready to serve.

I decided to service this over quinoa. I sauteed celery, carrot and garlic added the quinoa, covered with a combination of chicken broth and water and cooked til fluffy. Quinoa is amazing, by the way. I have a lot of fun playing with quinoa recipes.

Add a bit of diced cilantro, and you are done! Yes, I know there is currently a cilantro recall, but anything being sold at Whole Foods isn't going to kill me.

The fork had barely left my dining companion's mouth, when he uttered "this is excellent".

*All quotes attributed to Jordan Weinreich