Cod two ways and crispy roasted Brussels sprout leaves

Posted by petra08 on November 19, 2014 · 4 Comments 

Last week it was time for a Swedish visit to see friends and family. I only go a couple of times per year but why I can’t remember not to go in the winter is beyond me. Like a forgetful squirrel I seem to forget how dark it gets. It wasn’t very cold for the time of the year but the sky was solid grey and the daylight was sparse. First of all I can’t seem to properly wake up until after unusual amounts of coffee and by mid afternoon, when the dark is sweeping in, all I seem to want to do is sleep. The result is that I feel quite zombie like for most of the day but besides my sleepy being I had a great time.

The first thing I did was to eat some meatballs, it had to be done and here served with pickle cucumber and lingonberry jam. An American friend once asked me why Swedes seem to eat lingonberry jam all day long. He found it on the breakfast buffet in the hotel, at lunch and as he was mentioning this I had just ordered a lingonberry martini! It is not too tart and not too sweet and goes with pretty much everything.

 

 

The second, apparently very Swedish, dish I had was a kebab pizza. The first time M, to his amazement came across this on one of our first Swedish trips together, kebab pizza. It is kebab with the trimmings on a pizza, here with a garlic sauce. It is very rich and I wouldn’t eat one more than about once per year but when I do it is really good. I guess it is something like “when you are being bad you might as well be really bad” and it can taste so good!

 

 

 

I had a great time but it was nice to head home. It is not a lot lighter in the UK but whatever extra light there is helps a lot and I am back on normal coffee consumption, about a cup  day instead of four to five.

 

Coming home I felt like cooking and the fishmonger had a perfect looking piece of cod and I knew what to have for dinner. I couldn’t make my mind up on how to cook it but I went to the veg monger to see what they had. I saw the first local Brussels sprouts, sold on the stem so I got some. I picked a savoy cabbage from the garden, after the foxes playing around in the veg patch there were only three left! Next year I will build a big and sturdy cage for my vegetables.

 

Brussels sprouts on the stem 

 

The delicious top was still on, cook it like any cabbage and it is delicious.

 

I started with roasting some potatoes. After my friend Ian did his potatoes with mustard and sesame seeds for us at a dinner I can’t stop using this combination, here with some added spices.

 

The original, Ian’s potatoes 

 

Spice mixed roast potatoes 

preparation time 5 minutes 

cooking time 40 minutes, or until soft 

oven 175C or 350F

serves 2

Ingredients

• 6 baby potatoes
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp paprika powder
• 2 tbsp oil, I used rapeseed
• salt & black pepper

Mix all of the ingredients and cover the potatoes with the spice mixture. Place in an oven proof dish and roast until cooked all soft.

 

 

The spices will roast with the potatoes and develop their flavour and complement the potatoes beautifully.

 

Roasted, spiced potatoes 

 

Whilst the potatoes were roasting I started on the Brussels sprouts and the cod. I couldn’t make my mind up regarding the cod but I had quite a lot of it so I decided to start by cutting some nice pieces for pan frying and I used the rest as filling for the savoy cabbage. I used the base for the stuffing from a previous recipe when I discovered that cod and feta cheese is an interesting mix for dumplings, see recipe here.

 

Cod stuffed savoy cabbage leaves 

preparation time 15 minutes 

cooking time 10 minutes 

serves 2

Ingredients

• 200 gr or 7 oz cod
• 100 gr or 3.5 oz feta cheese
• 1 red chilli
• 1/2 shallot onion
• 2 spring onions
• 1 heaped tbsp cottage cheese
• salt & ground white pepper

Blanch the savoy cabbage leaves for 5 minutes and cut out the core. Cut the cod in to small pieces, chop the onion, chilli and spring onions.

 

 

Crumble in the feta cheese, add the cottage cheese and last add the salt and ground white pepper. Mix and place on a savoy cabbage leaf.

 

 

Wrap the leaf around the filling and tie with string before steaming.

 

 

Steam the savoy cabbage parcel for 10 minutes and they are ready.

 

 

Pan fried cod with lemon flavoured beurre noisette

preparation time 5 minutes 

cooking time pan frying + 10 minutes in the oven for a thick piece of cod

oven 175C or 350F

serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 large pieces of cod, the thickest past, de boned
• salt
• ground white pepper
• 50 gr or 1.7 oz butter
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 lemon

Salt and pepper the cod pieces. Melt the butter and heat the oil, add the cod once browned skin side down.Pan fry until the skin is crispy. Turn the cod over, squeeze in the juice from the lemon and place in the oven for 10 minutes.

 

Crispy Brussels sprout leaves

preparation time 10 minutes 

cooking time 10 minutes 

oven 250C or 480F

serves 2

Ingredients

• 10 large Brussels sprouts
• 1 tbsp oil, I used rapeseed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar

Separate the Brussels sprout leaves and place on an oven proof tray.

 

 

Sprinkle the oil, salt and sugar over, last minute just before baking them or the leaves will start to wilt and you will end up with slightly limp leaves instead of crispy. Bake until they start to get colour on the edges, a little colour will make the leaves crispy on the edges and softer in the middle.

 

 

It might have been slight overkill to cook the cod two ways but they were so different and still so nice together.

 

Cod two ways with crispy Brussels sprout leaves and roast potatoes.

 

 

I am bringing my cod very late to Angie’s Fiesta Friday. Her two co hosts this week is Tracy, Scratch It and Stephanie, The Cozy Cook.

Tracy is generously sharing her exciting vegan recipes and Stephanie brought delicious looking stuffed mushrooms to the party, have a look at their blogs and happy Fiesta Friday!

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed under Allotment/Veg, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Cheese, Chilli, Cod, Feta cheese, Fish & Seafood, Main course, Onion, Potatoes, Recipe, Spring onion · Tagged with cod stuffed savoy cabbage leaves, cod stuffing, roast potatoes, savoy cabbage