Hello and welcome. Today I am presenting an extremely easy recipe with extraordinary results in both taste and presentation. It is cod in a soft and aromatic potato crust, wrapped in an additional crispy puff pastry crust. It is a delicious, elegant fish main course, to be served whole if it’s small cod, or in slices for larger fish. The puff pastry can also be gluten-free or replaced with shortcrust pastry.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 1 Fresh cod (about 1.3 lbs)
- 1 roll Puff pastry (or shortcrust pastry)
- 1 Medium potato (about 4.2 oz)
- to taste Rosemary needles
- 2 tbsp Dry white wine
- 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- to taste Fine salt
Tools
- 1 Mandoline
- 1 Brush
Steps
Clean and gut the cod, removing the head, central bone, and lateral bones.
Open the cod in half, “like a book”, without completely separating the two parts.
Keep the puff pastry on its provided parchment paper and roll it out thinly, using the rolling pin.
Mix wine and oil together in a small bowl.
Wash, dry, and finely chop the rosemary needles with a knife.
Peel and slice the potato thinly, using a mandoline if possible. It’s important that the potato slices are very thin.
Brush the puff pastry first with a thin layer of the wine and oil mixture, sprinkle with a pinch of fine salt and some chopped rosemary.
Place the cod on the puff pastry (skin side down), brush it with some of the mixture, add another pinch of salt and minced rosemary needles.
Now “dress” the cod (the flesh side facing us) with the potato slices.
Brush the potato slices well with some of the mixture (be careful not to overdo it, just brush without leaving excess liquid on the cod or puff pastry), salt, and add a bit more chopped rosemary.
Cover the cod with the puff pastry, following the edges of the fish (leaving about two fingers of pastry all around and trimming any excess).
Press the puff pastry edges together and roll them to form a sort of cord all around the cod. If there is leftover wine and oil mixture, you can brush a thin layer on the puff pastry.
Make one or two incisions on the top of the pastry to let excess moisture evaporate, so the puff pastry (or the shortcrust, if used) does not become soggy and lose its crispness.
Transfer the cod in crust, with its parchment paper, onto a baking sheet, cover it with plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge in the coldest part.
Resting in the fridge, in the cold, is essential. Puff pastry does not like to be handled, and the warmth from hands and room temperature can compromise its flakiness during baking and the final crispness.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 392°F.
When the oven has reached the temperature, take out the baking sheet from the fridge, remove the plastic wrap, and bake in the middle rack for about 20 minutes or until it is evenly golden brown.
As soon as the pastry turns golden, turn off the oven and let the cod in crust rest for about ten minutes, with the oven door slightly open, before taking it out and dividing it into 4 portions.
Bon appetit
