Pan Seared Ling Cod – in Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce
I love living here on Whidbey Island – the natural beauty of the surrounding mountains and sea, the prairie and the wind swept shores, and of coarse, the wonderful people. The small town feel and the strong sense of community add so much to this place I call home. I mentioned that I was starting doing a “cooking website” to one of my friends, and she got super excited. Next thing I know, she stopped by with two bags FILLED with local caught seafood! I am so excited to start cooking and experimenting with the catch! What to cook as my first dish from this local bounty? After poking around the bags of fresh seafood, I settled on Pan Seared Ling Cod.
Keasha, my friend who showered me with the seafood gifts, and her family are avid fishermen. Ever since I have known her, they take a yearly, week-long local fishing trip to fill their freezer. She has passed on her love of fishing and adventure to her kids, who go out with her and her dad every year. When Keasha dropped the seafood by, she went through the bags with me, and told me exactly where each piece was from. I got a tour of Whidbey Island waters through the story of each piece of tastiness that was in the bag. This lovely Ling Cod was caught underneath Deception Pass Bridge. I am super excited to be able to share wonderful recipes for truly local ingredients – starting off with Pan Seared Ling Cod.
Delicious and Quick – Perfect for a Weeknight Meal
This is a super quick meal with gourmet results in under 30 minutes. Wild Alaskan Cod, or Wild Alaskan Black Cod would also work wonderfully for this recipe. I grabbed some fresh Helda beans and carrots from my garden and sautéed them in cultured French butter to serve along side the Pan Seared Ling Cod. A perfect pair for perfect dinner. If you would like to purchase some super fresh, caught in the PNW fish, you can order from Northwest Wild Foods. https://nwwildfoods.com?sca_ref=9552109.f8susya3ZW8K
Pan Seared Ling Cod with Lemon Garlic Butter
Ingredients
Ling Cod
- 2 6oz Ling Cod Pieces
- Salt
- Pepper
Lemon Garlic-Butter Sauce
- 4 Tbsp Butter, melted
- 1-2 Cloves Garlic, minced Use either 1 or 2 cloves, depending on how "garlicy" you want your final dish to be.
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
- 1/2 tsp Fresh thyme, finely chopped
- 2-3 tsp Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
- Salt
- Pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
Lemon Garlic-Butter Sauce
- In a small, heavy bottom saucepan, melt Butter over medium heat.
- Cook, swirling constantly, until butter turns dark, golden brown and has a nutty aroma.
- Stir in the garlic, until fragrant, and just starting to become toasty brown, about 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and stir in the Parsley, Thyme, and Lemon Juice.
- Season to taste with Salt and Pepper.
Ling Cod
- Prepare the Ling Cod by patting the fillets dry and seasoning with Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper.
- Heat cast iron skillet (or other heavy bottom pan) over medium high heat. Add a bit of butter or ghee to hot pan. Heat until bubbly.
- When pan is hot, and butter is bubbling, add your seasoned fillet/s to the pan. Be patient while you create a hard sear on the bottom of the fish.
- After about 4-5 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish), gently lift the fish to check sear. When looking at the end/edge, you will also notice that the fish is about halfway cooked through. Once nicely seared, gently flip over with a fish spatula to sear the other side.
- Once you have flipped the fillet, spoon the sauce over the fish as it continues cooking through, about 3-4 more minutes, depending on the thickness.
- Once done, remove to plate, and spoon a bit more sauce over the fish before serving.
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