Atlantic Cod with a Ginger Scallion Sauce

  

It may not seem like the most amazing sauce, but trust me, this sauce is ridiculous.  Ginger... scallions... I might even call it my kitchen's secret weapon.   And it only uses 4 ingredients.  I saw this recipe by Francis Lam on Gilt Taste and had to try it out.  Francis Lam knows good food.  He is a former editor for Gourmet.com, currently is the Features Editor at Gilt Taste, and he has a show on the Cooking Channel, Food(ography).

The really fun part of this sauce is you get to conduct a little science experiment in the kitchen.   Growing up, science was always my favorite subject.  I loved the idea of exploring the reactions of certain elements.  In this case, you heat peanut oil until it starts to smoke.  Then you pour the peanut oil into a tall pot that contains the other 3 ingredients.  What happens is a smoky, exciting, "volcanic" reaction.  The flash of intense heat makes the ginger and scallions sweeter and rounder, and infuses it all through the oil.  Your result is a fresh, salty delicious sauce.  And the volcanic reaction is cool!

This sauce is extremely versatile and could also be paired with chicken, eggs, noodles - you name it.   I topped pan-seared Atlantic Cod with my new creation the other night.  Atlantic Cod is a super healthy source of protein, low in mercury and low in calories.  Any white fish though would taste delicious with this ginger scallion sauce!

Ingredients
makes a lot (a little goes a long way)

2 bunches of scallions, rinsed, dried
2 ounces of ginger, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup of peanut oil, plus 1 tbsp
1/2 tsp table salt, plus more if needed

2 pieces of Atlantic Cod (for two people, you will have a lot of extra sauce, sauce could serve up to 8 servings easily)

Method

Heat one cup of peanut oil (you will want to use peanut oil for the flavor, but also its ability to heat to a very high temperature) on high heat until it starts to smoke. 

While the oil is heating, use a food processor to process the green scallions until they are finely chopped, but before they start to liquify.  Remove from processor and place in a large pasta pot.  (You will want something that is tall, much bigger than you think you would need)


Add ginger to your food processor and finely chop.  Add the processed ginger to your sauce pot.  Add salt.  Now here's the fun part.  (Be careful!!)  With oven mitts and your exhaust fan on high, pour the smoking peanut oil into the large pot.  Then stand back and let the oil flash fry the ginger and scallions.  After a minute, give the mixture a good stir and let sit for 15 minutes. 

Lastly, in a cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of peanut oil.  The skillet should be ready if you flick a drop of water into it and it sizzles.  Place your fish on the skillet for about 2-3 minutes depending on thickness of filet.  Flip over and cook for another 2-3 minutes till fully cooked through.  Top cod with the ginger scallion sauce and enjoy!

 

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