Wild Alaskan Cod with Lime Coconut Red-Curry Sauce

Our Persian Lime olive oil is perfect for sautéing this white fish and a key ingredient for the curry sauce too. You may need to go to the Asian market for the fish sauce however it’s inexpensive and the bottle lasts forever. A jar of red curry sauce is readily available in the international section of your grocery store. The spice level of this dish is kid-friendly – adjust the amount of red curry sauce to your taste. Unlike other fish recipes, we’ve reversed the order: you’ll make the sauce first and keep it warm as you prepare the fish fillets.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE FISH:

• ½ cup all-pupose flour
• 4-6 boneless, skinless wild cod fillets (about ½” thick)
• 2-4 tablespoons Olive This! Persian Lime Olive Oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 3 tablespoons Olive This! Persian Lime Olive Oil
• 2 teaspoons red curry paste (this amount results in a mild-med spiciness)
• ½ teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 small garlic clove (minced or pressed through a garlic press)
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Follow these steps to prepare the fish for sautéing.

Cut fillets into equal servings striving for uniformity in thickness. Pat the fish fillets with paper towels and season each side with salt and pepper. Let stand for 5 minutes as you place the ½ cup of flour into a small baking dish or pie tin.

Coat each side of cod fillets with flour shaking off any excess. Place fillets on a large baking sheet in a single layer and set aside as you prepare the sauce.

DIRECTIONS FOR SAUCE

As usual, in the OT Kitchen we find measuring out our ingredients first makes the cooking process much easier.

Heat the Persian Lime Olive Oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until oil shimmers. Before oil reaches smoking point, add curry paste, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

Add coconut milk, fish sauce and water. Increase heat to high and bring sauce to a boil.

Boil sauce to reduce to 1 cup, about 2-3 minutes and remove from heat. Add cilantro and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and set sauce aside while you finish the fish fillets. Stir sauce once or twice.

DIRECTIONS FOR FISH

Heat 1-2 tablespoons of the Persian Lime Olive Oil in a large skillet over high heat. Before oil reaches smoking point, place the fillets into the pan and immediately reduce the heat to med-high. Let the fish cook without moving the fillets until the edges are opaque and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.

Very gently flip the fillets with a large spatula. Cook the fillets for another 1-2 minutes until the fish is firm to the touch in the thickest part of the fish. The meat should also flake easily when poked. If you have more fillets to cook, transfer cooked fillets to a platter and tent with foil. Repeat steps for new batch of fillets. Before serving, discard any liquid that may have accumulated on the platter.

Give the sauce another quick stir. Serve fish immediately with about ½ cup of the sauce over each fillet. Garnish with cilantro.  Enjoy!

Have a comment?  We’d love to hear from you.  Have you tried this dish?  Do you have a variation that you think others will enjoy?  Leave us a comment below.