Recipes

Cod and Cabbage Purses with Lemon Caper Brown Butter Sauce

Cod and Cabbage Purses with Lemon Caper Brown Butter Sauce

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

6 large savoy cabbage leaves

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided

1/4 cup drained capers, divided

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

6 4-ounce cod fillets

Juice of 1/2 lemon

fresh minced rosemary for garnish

kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Fill a large bowl with ice cubes and water and set aside. Add washed cabbage leaves to boiling water; cook 2-3 minutes. Using a large slotted spoon, transfer leaves to bowl of ice water to cool. Once cooled, drain in a colander and gently pat dry with a clean kitchen towel.

2. Place 1/2 of the butter in small bowl. Chop 2 tablespoons of the capers and mix into bowl with butter, then stir in the minced thyme. Season caper butter to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

3. Place 1 blanched cabbage leaf, vein side up, on a work surface. Using small sharp knife, trim off some of thickest part of large center vein so that leaf will lie flat. Turn leaf over, vein side down. Place 1 fish fillet on bottom third of cabbage leaf (toward the root end). Sprinkle fish with coarse salt and pepper. Spread some caper butter over fish. Fold the root end, then the sides of leaf over fish. Fold tip of leaf over, enclosing fish completely. Place fish packet, seam side down, on rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pieces of fish.

4. DO AHEAD: Can be made a few hours ahead. Cover and chill.

5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle fish packets with coarse salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and a little EVOO in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish packets to skillet seam side up (working in batches if necessary) and cook until cabbage is light golden, about 2 minutes before flipping the packet seam side down and cooking an additional 2 minutes. Return fish packets, seam side down, to original baking sheet. Bake until fish is just opaque in center and firm to touch, about 7-10 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish.

6. Remove the baking sheet from the oven; cover with foil to keep warm. Place the skillet back over medium heat; add remaining 3 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons whole capers to pan and cook until butter is golden brown, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons chicken stock to butter mixture and swirl to blend. Squeeze in the lemon juice and season sauce to taste with coarse salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over fish and serve sprinkled with fresh rosemary.

Via Los Angeles’ May Food Blogger, Steven Dunn of Oui Chef

Steven Dunn is a 40-something father of five with a background in marketing and finance. He recently completed a two year professional hiatus during which he indulged his long held passion for cooking by moving to France to study the culinary arts and immerse himself in all things French. He earned “Le Grande Diplome” from Le Cordon Bleu, studied also at The Ritz Escoffier and Lenotre cooking schools, and completed the course offerings of the famed Bordeaux L’Ecole du Vin.

He started “Oui, Chef” to chronicle his experiences spending time in the kitchen with his kids teaching them how to cook, and as a vehicle to encourage other families to follow our example and do the same.