Cod With Local Green Beans and Soy-Sherry Sauce
Source: Recipe and photo courtesy of Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
At the four-star Le Bernardin, seafood is the star of the plate. Sustainability is key to Chef Ripert's fish and shellfish purchasing decisions. For this recipe, he chooses sustainable Alaskan cod fillets and sautés them quickly to preserve their delicate flavor and texture. Local vegetables and a light soy-sherry sauce make this a welcome summer dish.
Ingredients
1/4 lb. green beans
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. sherry vinegar
5 drops hot pepper sauce
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
2 tsp. minced shallots
9 tbsp. unsalted butter
Fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
2 tbsp. canola oil
12 (3-oz.) cod fillets
2 tsp. chopped parsley
Steps
- Snap ends off beans and halve them lengthwise. Blanch beans in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Drain and shock in ice water bath to stop cooking. Drain and set aside.
- In small saucepan, bring soy sauce, sherry vinegar, pepper sauce, ginger and shallots to a boil. Whisking constantly, add 8 tablespoons butter to pan, 1 tablespoon at a time, making sure each has been absorbed before adding another. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Place two large nonstick sauté pans over high heat and add 1 tablespoon canola oil to each. Season cod fillets on both sides with salt and pepper. When oil is hot, add 6 fillets to each pan. Sauté 3 to 5 minutes, or until cod is golden brown on the first side. Turn fillets over and cook 30 seconds longer.
- Meanwhile, heat beans in pan with remaining tablespoon butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add parsley and toss to incorporate. Gently reheat sauce, being careful not to let boil.
- To serve, place cod fillet, browned side down, on plate and top with little bean mixture. Top with another cod fillet, browned side up. Drizzle sauce around the cod. Serve immediately.