Braised Cod Veracruz

Thanks to my sister and my sister's husband for giving me some cod... I'm like, "What am I supposed to do with this?! I never cook fish!" Well, now I can say I do! It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to make with it. So I was flipping through my America's Test Kitchen Cookbook and they have a recipe for Braised Cod Provencal (but I'm thinking I need more!) So I look at the variations--now that seems right up my alley. Luckily, the cod from the freezer in my old apartment made it to my new one.

Braised Cod Veracruz

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 oz. can) diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives, sliced thin
1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
Pepper
4 skinless cod fillets (8 oz. each)
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro

1. Heat oil in 1-inch nonstick skillet over med-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the tomatoes, olives, wine, thyme, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Bring to a boil.

2. Pat the cod dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Nestle the cod into the sauce and spoon some of the sauce over the fish. Cover and reduce the heat to med-low. Cook until the fish flakes apart when gently prodded with a paring knife, about 10 minutes.

3. Transfer the fish to individual plates. Stir in the cilantro into the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce over the fish and drizzle a little oil (if desired).

Mmmmmm... I can't remember what we had to eat all day--maybe just a large brunch, so this served as a light but almost soulful meal for the night. It's starting to cool down in Davis (CA). I decided to couple the cod with Risotto with Dried Mushroom. It may seem like an odd combo but I thought they complemented each other well. Even though the fish comes with such a chunky, flavorful sauce, I don't think that the risotto is too heavy. The caption on the picture above should read: Braised Cod Veracruz with a dollop of Mushroom Risotto. It' s almost like I served it in "fancy restaurant portions".