The cod turned out wonderfully translucent, flaky and awesome. The glaze that goes over it has a somewhat strong flavor, so be sure to not skimp on the veg which accompanies it... you will need it to cut the richness of the glaze, and, it's good for you.
Dessert. Was. Fabulous.
This was a fresh blast of good 'ol 'Merican dessert making. I can't say much else about it as I am still in 'afterglow'. I will say that it is SUPER EASY and takes advantage of STRAWBERRIES IN SEASON and is completely awesome and satisfying. You should make some tomorrow.
The Cod
ONE DAY BEFORE COOKING
2 stems of lemongrass
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and chopped
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
sea salt
a wineglass of sake or white wine
2 tablespoons runny honey
300 g miso paste
4x200 g cod steaks pinboned
ON THE DAY OF COOKING
4 bulbs of pak choi, quartered
1 cucumber, peeled, halved and deseeded
juice of 1 lime
soy sauce
optional: 1 punnet of cress snipped
So, the day before you want to cook this, start on the marinade. Remove the outside layer of the lemongrass and discard it. Smash the lemongrass up using the back of a knife to release its lovely fragrance, then chop it. Put it in a pestle and mortar or Flavour Shaker with the chilli, ginger and a pinch of salt and bash up. Place in a pan with the sake or white wine and the honey and bring to the boil, stirring in the miso paste little by little. Simmer until lightly golden. Pour it out on to a baking tray and shake it out flat so it cools down quickly.
Once the miso marinade is cool, put the fish into a clean plastic bag, pour in three quarters of the marinade and gently shake so all the fillets get coated. Squeeze the air out of the bag, tie a knot in the top and place in the fridge. Put the rest of the marinade into a pot in the fridge until needed.
On the day of cooking, heat your grill up good and hot. Put the fish on an appropriately sized oiled roasting tray under the grill and cook until the top of the fish has caramelized slightly and is nice and golden. Check it every now and again. This will only take about 6 to 8 minutes, depending on your oven. Meanwhile, lay the quarters of pak choi in a steamer or large colander above a pan of boiling water. Slice your cucumber into long, angled 1/2 inch strips and put these in with the pak choi. Steam until the pak choi is tender and cooked.
Take your leftover marinade from the fridge and stir in enough lime juice to loosen it slightly and turn it into a kind of dressing. Serve the fish next to your greens with a few drizzles of soy sauce and the miso dressing on the side.
Dessert: Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
3 ½ cups halved strawberries, divided
⅓ cup sugar
⅓ cup orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 splash Cointreau
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chilled stick margarine or butter, cut into small pieces
½ cup low-fat buttermilk
Cooking spray
6 tablespoons double cream
1 teaspoon icing sugar
Combine 1 cup strawberry halves, 1/3 cup sugar, orange juice, vanilla, and lemon juice in a bowl, and mash with a potato masher. Stir in 2 1/2 cups strawberry halves and a splash of Cointreau. Cover and chill.
Preheat oven to 425°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; cut in margarine with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk, stirring just until moist (dough will be sticky).
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 4 times with floured hands. Pat dough into a 6 x 4-inch rectangle. Cut dough into 6 squares. Place 1 inch apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Split shortcakes in half horizontally using a serrated knife; place each bottom half on a dessert plate. Spoon 1/4 cup strawberry mixture over each bottom half. Top with shortcake tops; spoon 1/4 cup strawberry mixture over each top.
Mix the cream and icing sugar together and whisk to a soft peak. Top with syrup and whipped cream.
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