Jul
This blackcod recipe is a dream inside your mouth and will have your dinner guests talking about it forever. I don’t yet know what to call it, but if someone can come up with a name for it that would be great.
It doesn’t have the Asian Flare that I am used to using in my blackcod dishes but more of an Italian Flare to it. I was inspired by a recipe from Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. They inspire a lot of my creations in the kitchen….which I then find ways to get creative with and make it my own. So here is my version of the recipe…
Ingredients
~5Tbs Olive oil
1 large clove Garlic
1 eggplant very finely chopped (I prefer to peel the skin, but you can keep it on if you prefer.)
2 large tomatoes
3 TBS sun dried tomato paste (I prefer to use a whole jar of red pesto…specifically the one in the photo is my favorite)
A few drops of balsamic vinegar
4 thick slices of ciabatta bread.
4 x 6oz fillets of Alaska Blackcod, SKINNED
2 TBS pine nuts
salt and pepper to taste
basil and oregano sprigs to garnish if you like
Directions
Preheat oven to 375. Grease roasting pan with a few drops of olive oil. Heat remaining olive oil in frying pan with eggplant and garlic on medium low heat for 4 or 5 minutes or until very soft.
Add chopped tomatoes and sundried tomato paste (or sundried tomato pesto) to eggplant. Season with a few drops of balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. You likely will not need much if you use the tomato pesto. Cook gently for another few minutes.
Spread the eggplant mixture. on the bread. Layer the skinned blackcod pieced on the bread. Top with more eggplant mixture. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. In between, after about 10 minutes of baking sprinkle some pine nuts on top, then continue cooking. serve with some oregano and basil sprigs for garnish.
*If you have time, I like to spread some of the sundried tomato mixture on the blackcod (after you de-skin) in advance so it can “marinade” and absorb more of the flavors. Anywhere for a couple hours up to a few days in advance is just fine.
**Because of the high oil content, blackcod is very forgiving to overcooking so don’t worry about cooking it a little extra if need be. The flesh will be opaque when finished and should flake easily when tested with a fork.
***As an alternative to blackcod, try our Alaskan cod here too!
