Codfish with Caulifower and Sweet Potato Mash
I like fish very much. I did not know a lot of different saltwater fish before we moved to The Netherlands because it was almost impossible to buy fresh ones in Hungary. We could buy sweet water fish, but I am not a really big fan of them, trout is the only one that I like. When I went to the fishing harbor first time, I could recognize only the salmon between hundreds of fish. I wanted to try all of them. At the beginning when I went to the fishmonger, I took my fish cookbook with me. They always greeted me with a very big smile, answered all my questions and everybody was very kind and helpful. I’ve learnt a lot and I am still learning. In the last 19 years I cooked, grilled, baked, poached a lot of variety of fish, made shellfish, mussels, octopus, you name it. I promise these recipes are coming soon.
Cod fish is one of the most popular fishes because of its mild flavor and a dense, white flesh. Who doesn’t know fish n’ chips? It’s one of Britain’s most famous food. This food has a very interesting relationship with the Netherlands, because this battered fish with fries may have come from Western Sephardic Jewish immigrants from Holland. Salted cod, bacalhau is commonly used in Mediterranean and Caribbean cuisine. Kyara made a very delicious Portuguese Bacalhau Salad, try it!
Cod liver oil is a very important source of vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and Omega-3 fatty acids, it is a very popular food supplement.
This baked cod with sweet potatoes and cauliflower mashed is a light dish. It’s not necessary to make two types of side dishes if you do not want, one of them is enough, but I looked around in my pantry, saw these two veggies and thought they would be very good together. Their taste and colors harmonize with each other and the caper sauce is a good addition that pulls everything together.
Codfish with Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Mash
Equipment
- Immersion Blender
Ingredients
Codfish
- 2 pcs codfish filet 250 gram each
- 2½ tbsp butter softened, not melted
- 1 tsp tapioca flour
- 2½ tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tbsp parsley finely cut
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 1 tbsp capers
Side Dish
- 1 small cauliflower
- 200 ml almond milk
- 2 sweet potato peeled and cubed
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp nutmeg ground
- 2 tsp butter
- 1 tbsp parsley finely cut
Instructions
- Take codfish out from the fridge ½ hour before cooking to get to room temperature.
- Heat the oven to 200°C.
- While the fish gets to room temp you can make the side dish. Cut cauliflower to florets and put it into a pot.
- Add almond milk, ½ tsp salt and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, until soft.
- Pour the milk out of the cooked cauliflower.
- Add ¼ tsp ground nutmeg and use immersion blender to mash it.
- Add 1 tsp softened butter and mix it with a whisk.
- Season mashed cauliflower with salt and pepper and add 1 tsp finely cut parsley.
- In another pan put peeled and cubed sweet potatoes.
- Add enough water to cover it and ½ tsp salt and cook it on medium heat for 10 minutes, until soft.
- Pour the water out of the cooked sweet potatoes.
- Add ¼ tsp ground nutmeg and use immersion blender to mash it.
- Add 1 tsp softened butter and mix it with a whisk.
- Season mashed sweet potato with salt and pepper and add ½ tsp finely cut parsley.
- To make the buttercream for the codfish. Put 2 tbsp softened butter into a small bowl and add tapioca flour, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix them very well.
- Add finely cut parsley, mix it.
- Put codfish into ovenproof dish.
- Spread the butter mixture on top of each fillet.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Cooking time depends on the thickness and temperature of your fish. The fish is ready when it flakes easily with fork. Don’t overcook because it will be dry.
- Heat ½ tbsp butter in a small saucepan. When it is sizzling, add 4 tbsp cooking juices and capers and ½ tbsp lemon juice, cook for 40 seconds, constantly stir it.
- Heat side dishes if they cooled down too much.
- Scoop side dishes to the plates then place fish on it and sprinkle the top with caper sauce.