A Nod to Cod

You probably know that I rarely prepare seafood. In fact, I can probably count the number of fresh (read: not out of a can) seafood dishes I've made on one hand. It's partly due to a fear of fish ... it can be easy to prepare, but equally as easy to ruin. I'm also not a huge fish fan, a fact that's shocking to most people who know that I grew up next to an ocean.

I've begun to outgrow both my fears of fish, and now I occasionally crave it. Granted, my usual craving is for a super mild type, like cod. The dish below marks my second successful attempt at cod and was just as delicious as the first! It looks like I might be on to something here, but it remains to be seen if I can branch beyond cod.

Seared Cod with Chive Butter Sauce
Ingredients:
For Cod

4 (6-oz) cod fillets

Plain bread crumbs

1 egg

Salt and pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil

For Sauce

1 sprig fresh thyme, chopped

1 tablespoon finely diced red onion

1 clove garlic, smashed

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons chopped chives

Pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the bread crumbs in shallow dish. In separate shallow dish add beaten egg. Season both sides of fillets with salt and pepper. Dip one side of cod in egg, then dip egg side into bread crumbs.

Heat oil in skillet over high heat. Carefully place fillets in skillet, breadcrumb-side down. Once seared, place the skillet in oven, 3 to 4 minutes, until cooked through.

While cod is cooking, prepare suace. In saucepan, add thyme, shallot, garlic, and lemon juice and bring to a slight simmer. Whisk in butter. When melted, add chives and season with pepper. Serve over fish.