Recipe courtesy of Erik Slater and Alaska Seafood

Roasted Alaska Cod with Kale Pesto and Tomato Jam

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Total: 1 hr 5 min
  • Active: 30 min
Most Americans fall short of eating the 8 ounces of seafood per week recommended in the dietary guidelines. However, fish is chock-full of good-for-you nutrients, most notably Omega-3 fats, protein, selenium, iron, zinc and B vitamins like niacin, B-6, and B-12. Here's a timesaving tip: You don?t have to defrost fish before cooking it -- you can cook it straight from the freezer. Just be sure to rinse the frozen fish pieces under cold water to get rid of the ice glaze, then pat them dry with a paper towel. This recipe showcases cod cooked from frozen.
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Ingredients

Kale Pesto:

3 cups loosely packed kale leaves, center stems removed

1/2 cup macadamia nuts, or any nuts

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

4 garlic cloves 

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Kosher salt

1/2 cup grapeseed or olive oil, or to taste

Tomato Jam:

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

3 vine-ripe tomatoes, chopped

1/2 shallot, chopped

Cod:

Four 5- to 6-ounce Alaska cod fillets, fresh, thawed or frozen (see Cook?s Note)

Directions

  1. For the kale pesto: Put the kale leaves in the blender. Put the nuts in a skillet over medium heat and cook, shaking the pan every so often, until brown and toasty. Put the toasted nuts, cheese, garlic, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt in the blender. Puree; slowly drizzle oil into the mixture until it is as smooth as you like it. Season to taste.
  2. For the tomato jam: Simmer the brown sugar, vinegar, honey, tomatoes and shallot in a pan over medium-low heat until it becomes jam-like, 20 to 30 minutes. Puree, if desired; keep warm.
  3. For the cod: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Rub 1 tablespoon of pesto onto each fillet, reserving about 2 tablespoons pesto. Place the cod on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast until opaque throughout, 12 to 15 minutes for frozen cod or 10 minutes for fresh. 
  4. Top fillets with the reserved pesto and dollops of tomato jam.

Cook’s Note

If using frozen fish then be sure to rinse the pieces under cold water to get rid of the ice glaze, then pat them dry with a paper towel before cooking.

Let's Get Cooking!

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