Cod filets are rubbed with a flavorful spice mixture before roasting to perfection. Top this roasted chili-lime cod with a delicious lime-butter sauce and serve over your favorite veggie andrice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice for a simpleweeknight meal!
**The photos for this post have been updated as of May 2017. The text and recipe have been kept the same**
I’m always looking for great ways to enjoy fish that are both quick and easy. Today’s recipe fits the bill in both departments and as an added bonus, it’s full of flavor! Those are the best kind of recipes.. am I right?!
Roasted Chili-Lime Cod starts with a flavorful dry rub using spices that you probably already have in your pantry. Paprika, parsley, oregano, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin and a little cayenne pepper all combine for a flavor explosion! This rub will work on all kinds of fish, but I used cod because I had some filets on hand. This rub would be great on any white fish, salmon, shrimp, or even chicken!
Once you’ve got your fish slathered in the dry rub, you want tolet it marinatefor at least 30 minutes – this allows all of the flavors to beabsorbedinto the fish. You can marinate the fish forup to12 hours, so it’s great to do in the morning before work – and then you can just pop it in the oven when you are ready for dinner.
While your fish is cooking (it only takes about 12 minutes!) you can prepare the buttery lime drizzle – it’s just lime juice, olive oil, and a little butter! It couldn’t be any easier, but it really packs a punch on top of the fish. After12 minutesyour fish isdone -drizzle with the buttery lime mixture and get ready to be wowed. Who knew fish could be so good?
I like to serve this dish over riceand a seasonal veggie. In this case, it’s asparagus, but any veggie you like will work! Zucchini and corn would be great in the summer, broccoli or brussels sprouts in the fall, and sautéed kale in the winter. You can also serve it over brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice. I love me a versatile recipe!
Flaky fish, flavorful spices, and tangy lime make for a fabulous meal. You definitely need to make this soon – it’s a great meal anytime of the year, and it’s easy. What is better than that?!
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter, or use ghee for Paleo & Whole30
Zest and Juice of 2 Limes
Cooked Rice, Quinoa, or Cauliflower Rice, for serving
Your Favorite Vegetable, for serving
Instructions
In a small bowl combine all of the spices and mix well. Using 1 tablespoon of olive oil, brush the cod filets and then rub the filets with the spice mixture. You will use the entire rub – so make sure to coat them very well. Refrigerate the cod filets for at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours.
Preheat the oven to 450º. Place the cod filets on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes – the fish will flake easily and be opaque throughout when it’s cooked through.
Meanwhile in a small saucepot, melt the butter with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add in the lime zest and juice and swirl the pan to mix. Serve the cod overtop of your chosen accompaniments and top with the lime butter.
Notes
*This recipe is for 2 servings. If you want more you can adjust the spices as necessary - they are very easy to double. You can even double or quadruple the recipe and store any extra in an airtight container to have on hand. This rub will work on all kinds of fish or poultry - it's a good one to have in your pantry!
*Make this recipe Paleo & Whole30 friendly by using ghee in place of the butter and serving over cauliflower rice!
At the very least, a cooked fish fillet will always benefit from a spritz of lemon or lime. If you briefly marinate that fillet in lemon or lime juice before cooking it, it becomes much more flavorful without tasting acidic.
Additionally, make sure the heat isn't too high and you use enough fat (e.g. olive oil, butter)/liquid (e.g. white wine, lemon juice) to keep it from sticking to the pan. If cod separates in pieces, it is overcooked. The flesh should still be slightly tender and in one piece.
Pan-frying is a great option for cod fillet or loin as there is time to produce a lovely crispy skin without overcooking the delicate, flaky flesh. This is the way cod and similar white fish are often cooked in restaurant kitchens and is very simple to do at home.
Overcooked fish loses its natural moisture, which can result in a dry and chewy texture. The proteins in the fish also begin to tighten, which can make the fish tough and rubbery. In addition, overcooked fish can have a severe lack of flavor, as the heat causes the natural oils in the fish to evaporate.
Before cooking, soak the fish in milk for 20 minutes
In this scenario, the protein in the milk binds with the compounds that cause that fishy odor, in essence extracting if from the fish. What's left behind is sweet-smelling, brighter flesh with clean flavor. (Just make sure you pour that milk down the drain.
Poaching your fish in milk will up your flavor, texture, and creaminess. You've most likely been poaching your fish in wine, butter, or oil. And these liquids work just fine.
The fish will begin to cook immediately, however, because citrus is acidic it is not being being cooked by heat but the citrus juice from the lime. This process will take anywhere from 15-20 minutes. You can leave in the lime juice longer as it will cook the fish more thoroughly.
At least thirty minutes. Watch the fish change colour in the lime juice, and once the flesh has lost it's translucence you can work the dish. I often leave cerviche for over an hour, depending on how saturated I want the flesh to be with the choice of herbs I'm using.
The acid in the citrus forms an extremely low pH condition to denature the fish protein networks, much the same as heating would. This results in the seafood becoming opaque and more firm in texture.
Fish comes in a wonderful variety of flavors and textures, but there is one texture it generally shouldn't be – mushy. A mushy fish is a sure sign that it was not only once frozen, but thawed out improperly.
What Is the Internal Temp of Cod When Cooked? In general, the ideal internal temperature of cooked fish is 145 °F (63 °C). The internal temp of cod when cooked is about the same. An easy way to test if the cod is done is to note when the meat starts to turn opaque and you can separate the meat using a fork.
COD-FISH is a strand-specific modification of standard FISH technology which allows the hybridization of single-stranded probes to one, and only one, chromatid of a metaphase chromosome.
Frying. Frying is probably the most popular method of cooking fish. Shallow frying: The fish should be seasoned and lightly coated with flour or crumb before frying to protect it and seal in the flavour. Use a mixture of oil and butter when frying and turn the fish only once during cooking, to avoid breaking up.
Make sure to cook your fish in a way that doesn't overwhelm the flavor. The level of fat in the meat. Leaner types of seafood dry out more easily, which makes them better suited for wet cooking methods like steaming and poaching. Fatty fish like tuna and salmon, on the other hand, are ideal for grilling and roasting.
Temperature is the key to making sure your frozen cod doesn't turn out rubbery or chewy. No matter how you cook it, be sure that your cod reaches an internal temperature of 145˚F as measured by a food thermometer. At this temperature, its flesh will be opaque white and flake easily when pressed with a fork.
Introduction: My name is Patricia Veum II, I am a vast, combative, smiling, famous, inexpensive, zealous, sparkling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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