When sharing dinner with friends, I find it desirable to minimize time in the kitchen so I can enjoy time with friends. For this recipe, there are a few "prep aheads" that allow me to accomplish that. When I made this entree, it was for 10 of us, so the more I could in advance, the better.
The first thing I did was to caramelize the onions in the morning, which with cutting and cooking, took 30 minutes. While the cooking was going on, I also did the task of peeling, seeding and slicing the tomatoes and then added, the salt and oil and placed them in the refrigerator. The last task was to cut the fresh cod into pieces, drizzle with oil and sprinkle fresh rosemary on top--cover and refrigerate. This advance prep allowed me to spend only 10 minutes cooking the fish when it was time to prepare the main course.
I must also mention that friends brought appetizers, salad and dessert, all of which were delicious. This shared approach is nice in that no one does all the work and I think it makes it easier and more enjoyable for friends to get together for dinner.
RECIPE
Cod with tomato & caramelized red onion
4 Servings
4 (6-8 oz.) pieces of cod, about 1- inch thick
7 TBSP. of extra-virgin olive oil
1 TBSP. finely chopped fresh rosemary plus 4 small springs for garnish
1 pound of red onions, cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
1 bay leaf
1 TBSP. sugar
Fine sea salt
1 1/4 pounds tomatoes (I used Roma)
Freshly ground black pepper
Fish Prep
On a large plate, drizzle fish with 1 TBSP. olive oil and sprinkle with chopped rosemary; gently turn fish to coat both sides, then cover with plastic and refrigerate.
Onions
In a non-stick skillet, heat 3 TBSP. olive oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking, add onions, bay leaf, sugar and 1/2 tsp. salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is sweet and tender, about 25 minutes.
Tomatoes
Place tomatoes in boiling salted water for 30 seconds. Remove from water, transfer to a bowl, then peel, seed and slice into 1/2-inch wide strips. In a bowl, toss tomato pieces with 1TBSP olive oil and a generous pinch of salt, set aside.
Divide onions and tomatoes among 4 plates. In skillet, heat 2 TBSP olive oil over medium-high heat until simmering. Season fish with salt and pepper and add to pan; cook 4 minutes, turn over and continue cooling until opaque and just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Arrange fish over onions and tomatoes and garnish with rosemary springs.
