Paleo Italian Baked Cod

2013-02-19
I love seafood and wish that I made it more often.  I am somewhat limited because the Commissary does not always have a fresh seafood section, but it is worth going out of my way to find some wild caught seafood now and then.  I found wild caught cod filets during my last trip to Sam’s Club, so I was excited to utilize a fish that is not only low in fat, but contains Vitamins A, B6, B12, D, and K.  The inspiration for this recipe came from the February 2013 Relish magazine.

The original recipe was called Halibut with Tarragon-Lemon Breadcrumbs, but it said that you could also substitute cod.  I also substituted marjoram and Italian herb seasoning for the tarragon because Taylor is not the biggest fan of tarragon.  The idea is to merely season the breadcrumbs, so you can’t go wrong as long as the seasoning pairs well with lemon and butter.

The crust for the top of the cod requires a fat to allow the almond meal/flour to create a crumb.  The original recipe calls for butter.  If you do not have a lactose sensitivity, you can use an organic butter.  Otherwise, clarified butter or ghee is butter without the milk solids.  You can create that on your own by melting butter, then skimming off the white solids that separate themselves to the top.  You may also use coconut oil, but that would be my last choice for this dish.  They flavor of the crumb really benefits from the buttery flavor.

It does not take too much effort to make this recipe strictly Paleo, as long as you have some Paleo Mayonnaise on hand.  The Paleo mayo and the prepared horseradish sauce create a delicately tangy base for the almond meal/flour crumbs to adhere to, in addition to keeping the cod incredibly moist.  It may seem like a lot of fat between the mayonnaise and the ghee/butter, but the fish itself is very lean.  Even if you were to eat half of the fish yourself, you would only be consuming a teaspoon of butter, two teaspoons of mayo and a 1/2 cup of almond meal.  If that seems like a lot to you, consider that all the ingredients are high quality and compose a dish that is infinitely healthier for you than a fish dish you’d find prepared in most restaurants.

This dish serves four comfortably, or two really hungry adults in my family. 🙂  I served this with my Paleo Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon.  I will definitely be making this dish again soon!

Ingredients

  • 1 large wild caught cod filet (1.5-2 lbs)
  • 2 tbs ghee, organic butter, or coconut oil
  • 1 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
  • 1 cup almond meal/flour
  • 1/2 tsp marjoram or tarragon
  • 1/2 tsp Italian herb seasoning (I used McCormick Italian Herb Seasoning Grinder which contains salt and red pepper flakes)
  • zest of one lemon
  • 4 tsp paleo mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp prepared horseradish (I used Gold’s Prepared Horseradish-containing only horseradish, vinegar, and salt)

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • 2. Melt butter in nonstick skillet over medium heat
  • 3. When butter begins to bubble, add garlic, stirring frequently (for about a minute)
  • 4. Turn down heat to medium-low/low, then add almond meal/flour, marjoram, lemon zest, and Italian seasoning and stir well
  • 5. Stir the “breadcrumbs” until they are slightly browned then turn off burner
  • 6. Place cod on parchment-lined baking pan
  • 7. In a small bowl, combine paleo mayo and horseradish, then spread over the top of the filet
  • 8. Top the cod with the crumbs, patting them lightly to help them adhere to the fish
  • 9. Bake the cod for 11-14 minutes (depending on the thickness of your fish)- fish should be tender, moist, and flake easily
  • 10. Enjoy!