Slow Roasting Fish
It’s May and it’s pouring rain. After a dry start of the year (four inches behind in rain), the floodgates have opened and it’s been pouring for days and will continue for days to come. It’s a good thing I guess. The plants love it, the crops at Appleton Farms will get a good start and I’ll have time to cook and write. It’s been a tough and upsetting week on a lot of levels, so a little solace from food and wine can only be good. I have such a backlog of recipes to post. Maybe it’s best to start with a quick and easy one… slow roasted fish.

I first read about this cooking technique in Michael Schlow’s cookbook, “It’s About Time” [Steerforth Press 2005]. He is the chef and owner of Radius in Boston, which is probably the most New York-like Boston restaurant. Expensive, chic and creative. Anyway, his book has a recipe for slow roasted salmon with cabbage, bacon and dill. Unlike typical recipes, he cooks the salmon in the oven at 250° for about 20 minutes. The lower roasting temperature has numerous benefits. The fish has a better consistency; its stays very moist, and it doesn’t smell up the house the way broiling or pan roasting does. I made the dish and loved it. Shortly thereafter, slow roasted fish started turning up at other Boston restaurants. Upstairs at the Square in Cambridge does an amazing job with slow roasted cod. Having just read a book about cod fish, “Cod” by Mark Kurlansky [Penguin Books 1998], I was especially attracted to the dish. Subjected to massive over fishing, fresh cod is getting rarer and harder to find. Interestingly, cod has historically been more frequently consumed in its dried and salted form. Fresh cod is mild and falls apart quickly into large flakes if over cooked. Slow roasting, however, cooks the cod perfectly. It stays together, gets a wonderful translucent white in color and becomes a delicious foil for any number of herbs, spices and/or sauces. I’ve used this method successfully for salmon, cod and halibut, but I’m sure it will work for other types of fish. Here’s how to do it.

Ingredients

• Cod fillets – as thick as you can find. I like about 1 pound for two people, others aim for about 6 ounces per person. If the cod has a thin end, you can fold it over to gain thickness.


• White wine – just enough to put a quarter inch or so in the roasting dish.


• A few pats of butter


• Salt, pepper, pimenton, chopped herbs

Method
Heat the oven to 250° (I’ve also had success at 300° when I need it to cook a little faster).
Put the fish is a shallow baking dish a little larger than the filet. Add the wine. Put a few pats of butter on the top, salt, pepper and sprinkle with herbs or spices. I especially like using sweet, smoky pimenton. Roast for about 20 minutes, but check frequently to avoid overcooking. Baste if you like each time you check. Remove when the fish just starts to flake. It will be a different consistency and color than higher temperature roasted fish, but it’s done. Top with your choice of sauce, or simply use the liquid from the roasting pan. Enjoy!