The ingredient list may be long, but the preparation of this roasted cod with Montpellier butter recipe is quite effortless.
This particular recipe has a twist: drizzling the cod with a wine reduction after cooking it. The butter is something of an herb-laced, eggless mayonnaise perked up with cornichons and anchovies; it tastes fantastic served as a garnish to quickly roasted cod fillets. Serve the dish with fresh salad greens, the whole meal, is very appealing to the palate served with a crisp, dry white wine.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 ounce fresh thyme
- 1 ounce fresh marjoram
- 2 pound cod fillets, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups white wine
Herb butter:
- 4 anchovy fillets, soaked in milk for 5 minutes and drained
- 2 cornichons
- 1 tablespoons capers, drained
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 ounces watercress, blanched and drained
- 2 ounces fresh parsley, blanched and drained
- 1 ounce spinach, blanched and drained
- 1 ounce fresh chervil, blanched and drained
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salad greens for serving
Prep Time: 90 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 110 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
PREPARATION
- Layer the fresh thyme and marjoram in a metal baking pan and set it aside for a moment. Brush the cod fillets with olive oil and dust them with the salt and pepper. Place the seasoned cod on the fresh herbs, loosely cover the dish, and chill the fish, turning once, for 90 minutes.
How to make the herb butter:
- While the cod is marinating, make the herb butter. Using a food processor, blend the anchovies, cornichons, capers, and garlic until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the softened butter, and process until the mixture is completely smooth. Add the prepared watercress, parsley, spinach, and chervil and pulse the butter until the greens are just finely chopped, not fully pureed. With the processor blades on, slowly and evenly pour in the olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set the Montpellier butter aside for a moment.
- For the best flavor, roast the fish right before serving the dish. Preheat the oven to 450F. Uncover the baking dish and roast the cod and herbs for 9 minutes. Turn the fish over and continue roasting it for an additional 9 minutes. The fish should be firm and easily flaked with a fork when done. Large fillets can be cut on the diagonal to make smaller servings, if desired.
- While the cod is cooking, reduce the wine by half in a small pan.
- Layer a large serving platter with fresh salad greens and roasted cod. Drizzle the wine reduction over the cod and then garnish the fish with herb butter on the side.
- This roasted cod with herb butter recipe makes 4 to 6 servings.
****Grabbed from: http://frenchfood.about.com/od/maindishes/r/Roasted-Cod-With-Wine-And-Herb-Butter-Recipe.htm