Raise your hand if you love watching The American Test Kitchen. I’ve been a fan of the long-running PBS series for about 20 years and it always gives me great ideas. Years ago I convinced a former boss to subscribe to Cook’s Illustrated when I was still working in bars and coffee shops.
Over this time the show, cast and leadership have changed, without missing a beat in my opinion. I liked the old shows with Christopher Kimball and the new ones with Bridget and Julia stayed true to what made the show great in the first place. While I mostly use recipes from America’s Test Kitchen for inspiration, today I’ll be making my own favorites and following them pretty closely to the way Julia prepares them in one episode.
Fresh New England cod from Fisherman’s Wharf Gloucester
I feel a little embarrassed because I have so few cod recipes at this stage. The rest of the world equates New England with cod, but most of us here actually prefer haddock. They are very similar and practically interchangeable, but they have their differences. Haddock flakes smaller than large cod flakes and has a milder flavor. Cod is tastier and when I say this I don’t mean a strong or “fishy” flavor. It has a subtle but distinctive taste, different from haddock. I still prefer haddock, but I appreciate the slight but delicious difference that cod offers… when you can get the local stuff.
If I cook cod, it will be caught by our local fishermen. Fisherman’s Wharf Gloucester has had a small but steady supply of cod in stock recently, so I picked up 2lb after work. The fillets were in excellent condition, with large, thick loin sections. I decided to trim the fish and use only the thickest parts of the two loins. I would estimate these ended up being about 10 ounces each. I put the rest in two layers of freezer bags for later… maybe some fish cakes or some good old fashioned fried cod.
Modifications to accommodate dietary restrictions
I follow a low FODMAP diet due to gastrointestinal issues and struggle especially with onions and garlic. This particular recipe from America’s Test Kitchen uses several cloves of garlic, which would taste great, but would suffer before bedtime. Luckily the garlic is the only major problem in this original recipe, and I can easily replace it by using a little garlic-infused olive oil along with the butter.
Cod and potatoes in a pan
Kitchen: SeafoodDifficulty: Easy
A simple and delicious way to prepare fresh cod and potatoes thanks to America’s Test Kitchen. Slight changes to make it low FODMAP.
ingredients
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1.5 pounds of fresh cod
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3-4 potatoes
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1/2 stick of butter
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Garlic olive oil
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Fresh thyme and dill
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1 lemon, sliced
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Salt and pepper
Video recipe
Notes
- While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the fish and prepare any side dishes.
- Feel free to make extra potatoes as a side dish or even just for a snack.
The verdict: America’s Test Kitchen cod and potatoes
At times, America’s Test Kitchen recipes can be a little daunting. This isn’t one of those that requires 3 pans and gadgets, which is why I love it so much. This recipe is almost foolproof, even if you burn a few slices of potato, it tastes delicious. If you’re looking for a way to include seafood in a weeknight meal, this cod and potatoes comes together in about an hour and is pretty stress-free.
In my opinion, America’s Test Kitchen really crushed this. This is a recipe that really brings out the best aspects of fresh cod. The large flakes and sweet flavor are a perfect match when paired with buttery, crunchy roast potatoes. As I said before, haddock or even another flaky white fish like halibut would work just as well. I have done this in the past as I can’t always get local cod. However, after trying several fish, I have to admit that cod is the best.
If you love the America’s Test Kitchen team or if you’ve tried this cod and potatoes recipe, let us know in the comments!
