I tasted a real Basque country dinner when sommelier Mikel Garaizabal recently visited Miami. He told me that they only serve fresh ingredients with lots of vegetables and rarely add pasta or rice to the meal. He served a typical dish of fresh cooked cod with a salsa verde. It’s a classic Basque sauce made with garlic, white wine, fish stock and lots of parsley. The fish is sauteed and the sauce is made in the same skillet. So there’s only one pan to clean. I created this quick dinner based on the Basque flavors we enjoyed.
Romaine lettuce leaves topped with olives and pepperoncini peppers completes the meal.
I used bought clam juice from the market as a substitute for fish stock in the recipe.
Helpful Hints:
— If you prefer to leave the wine out, just add another 1/2 cup clam juice instead.
— You can use any type of lettuce.
— You can use any type of pickled peppers for the salad.
Countdown:
— Prepare all ingredients.
— Saute the cod, remove from skillet and then make the sauce in the same skillet.
— Assemble the lettuce leaves, with the olives and pepper.
Shopping List:
To buy: 3/4 pound cod fillets, 1 bottle clam juice, 1 bottle white wine (or one small split of white wine), 1 bunch parsley, 1 small jar pepperoncini, 1 container pitted green olives, 1 container minced garlic, 1 head romaine lettuce, 1 whole wheat baguette and 1 bottle reduced-fat salad dressing.
Staples: olive oil, flour, salt and black peppercorns.
———
BASQUE COD WITH SALSA VERDE
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
2 tablespoons flour, divided use
3/4 cod fish fillets
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup clam juice
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 slices whole wheat baguette
2 cups romaine lettuce leaves torn into small pieces
6 green pitted olives
1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini
2 tablespoons reduced-fat oil and vinegar dressing
Place 1 tablespoon flour on a plate. Add the cod fillets and coat both sides with the flour. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cod and saute 2 minutes. Carefully turn fillets over and saute another 3 minutes. A thermometer should read 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the cod to two dinner plates. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and garlic to the skillet. Saute about 30 seconds. The garlic should be golden not burned. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon flour and mix until it is absorbed. Add the clam juice, white wine and parsley to the skillet. Stir until the sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the fish fillets. Place 2 cups lettuce leaves on the side of each plate. Top the lettuce with the olives and pepperoncini peppers. Drizzle the salad dressing over the lettuce. Serve with the sliced whole wheat baguette.
Yield 2 servings.
Per serving: 484 calories (38% from fat), 20.2 g fat (207 g saturated, 9.6 g monounsaturated), 72 mg cholesterol, 35.7 g protein, 3.6 g carbohydrates, 3.9 g fiber, 632 mg sodium.
