Seared Black Cod with Lime Coconut Broth

I appreciate this recipe because you can either stretch your pantry to include some exotic ingredients you wouldn't normally have (like galangal or tatsoi) or you can easily substitute more common ingredients (like ginger or chard). Plus, cod doesn't smell fishy when you cook it and it's fool-proof. 

How to Cook Cod - Lime Coconut Broth - Gluten-free, Dairy-free Recipe Demo

Seared Block Cod with Lime Coconut Broth
Broth Ingredients:
1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk (do not shake the can)
2 cups rich chicken or vegetable broth
2 whole kaffir lime leaves (or zest of one lime)
1 (1-inch) piece galangal, thinly sliced (or fresh ginger)
1 large garlic clove, smashed
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, about 1 lime
2 green onions, coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 tablespoon fish sauce, or to taste

Fish:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 (4 oz) black cod fillets (about 1-inch thick)
1/2 cup finely ground cornmeal
1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the broth: open the coconut milk and remove 2 tablespoons of the thick cream from the top; set aside to be used later. Stir the remaining cream into the thin milk. Combine the broth, lime leaves, galangal/ginger, and garlic in a medium sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then stir in the thin coconut milk, lime juice, green onions, and red pepper flakes. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep until the broth has developed a rich ginger flavor, approximately 20 minutes.

Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer, pressing firmly on the solids to extract as much flavor as possible; discard the solids. Season to taste with fish sauce and lime juice. If not using immediately, cool in an ice water bath, then refrigerate tightly covered.

For the fish: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Combine the cornmeal, cumin and coriander on a plate or in a bowl. Season the cornmeal mixture liberally with salt and pepper. Dredge the fillets in the seasoned cornmeal, shaking off the excess.

Heat a medium ovenproof saute pan over medium-high heat; add the olive oil and heat through. Place the fish in the pan, presentation side down, and sear until lightly browned and crisp, about 2 minutes. Turn the fillets and cook for another 2 minutes on the second side. If the fish is not done, transfer the pan to the oven and cook to an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.

To serve, ladle the broth into heated wide rimmed soup bowls. Place a mound of the sauteed green with shiitakes (recipe below) in the center of each bowl. Top each portion of greens with a cod fillet and garnish with a dollop of coconut cream, reserved from the coconut milk can. Add cilantro leaves and serve immediately.

Asian Green with Shiitakes

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium shallot, sliced
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
1/2 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 2 ounces mushrooms)
salt, to taste
1 cup tatsoi greens (or baby bok choy)
3/4 pound baby bok choy, halved lengthwise (or 1 pound, if substituting for tatsoi; or 1 pound of any green like chard, kale, mustard greens or collard greens)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat a medium saute pan or wok over high heat. Add the oil and heat through. Add the shallots and ginger. Saute for 30 seconds or until the shallots have browned lightly.

Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Saute for 1 minute or until the mushrooms have started to release their juices and have browned lightly. Add the greens and season lightly with salt. Saute, tossing the mixture often, until the greens just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes. Add the sesame oil and toss to coat evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter. Keep warm.