Cod Mistral

First, let's discuss the title Cod Mistral.  I have no idea what mistral is so I looked it up with the handy dandy Google Tranlate.  It detected mistral to be English.  Since both the English and the Italian translation of this dish contain the word mistral - unhelpful.  The definition I was given for the English version of mistral was "a strong, cold northwesterly wind that blows through the Rhône valley and southern France into the Mediterranean, mainly in winter."  Soooooo, I made Cod Northwesterly Wind?  This are one of those moments where I just throw up my hands and give up.  Maria Lusia, why do you insist on making me nuts?!

Stupid nonsensical translations aside, this was a tasty dish, except for one thing.  There is always a but isn't there.  Maria Luisa made me double cook my cod again.  I do not enjoy double cooking cod because I run the risk of the rubbery texture.  And two of my fillets, the thicker ones, were rubbery...no buono Maria Luisa, no buono.   Now, for anyone saying "you could have just ignored the instructions to both sauté and bake," yes, I could have.  However, I feel a bit more justified in my ranting if I follow her instructions.  Had I intended to serve Cod Northwesterly Wind to anyone other than myself, I most certainly would have chosen to only bake the fish.

I should also admit a faux pas of my own...I used a French wine.  I know, total sacrilege but, it said dry right on the label, I had to pick it - Monsieur Touton Sauvignon.

Final rant...what the heck is a moderate oven!  Maria Luisa, why do you give me ridiculous directions?!  I'm not kidding.  The last sentence for the directions of this recipe are, and I quote "Bake in a moderate oven for 15 to 25 minutes" (pg 106).  ARGH

Cod Mistral

Merluzzo alla Mistral

Ingredients:

8 cod fillets - dipped in flour

1 c. olive oil

1 lb. tomatoes - peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp parsley - chopped

1 lb. mushrooms - sliced

6 Tbsp bread crumbs

4 Tbsp butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Lightly sauté cod in oil until both sides are golden.  In a 13 x 9 baking dish, sprinkle half of the bread crumbs then place the cod on top.  In the saute pan, add tomatoes to remaining oil along with the garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper.  

Simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove the garlic and add wine and mushrooms.  Simmer until half of the wine has evaporated, approximately 10 minutes.  Pour the sauce over the cod.  Sprinkle the rest of the bread crumbs on top and bake for 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 350F.

Doesn't look like much does it?  Don't worry, it tastes way better than it looks.  The mushrooms held up really well even after being both sauteed and baked.  They were nice and firm...I greatly dislike mushy mushrooms.


 

And here it is, my first entirely The Italian Cookbook Challenge meal - a protein, carb, and veggie all on the same plate.  And I'm still alive...darn you Maria Luisa, thwarting my best efforts to give poor marks on your ridiculous cookbook.  There is always next week!  Buon appetito!