By Evelyn S. Bunoan
COD AND PEAR SALAD
I grew up eating fish and seafood and cod fish is one of my favorites. My mom used to cook soupy recipes all the time which I love, such as pesa (boiled cod with ginger) and sinigang (cod in tamarind). But now that I am a chef, I never stop exploring, reinventing and creating interesting recipes out of cod fish. Here is one I just created recently which I would like to share with you. It is very wholesome to eat as a first course or simply a meal itself.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. skinless, boneless cod fish fillet
Salt and white pepper
1 tablespoon bread crumbs
1 or two firmBartlettpear, peeled, cored and diced (1/4”)
2 pieces sun dried tomatoes, chopped
2 dates, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon mustard
1 stalk scallion, chopped
Sprigs of cilantro, chopped
Methods:
Brush the cod with vegetable oil, season both sides with salt and pepper and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Brush a heavy bottom non-stick skillet with vegetable oil and preheat. Lay the fish gently into the hot skillet and pan grill for 2-3 minutes then turn the fish over to cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes. By this time, the fish may have separated but not to worry. When cooked, be careful to transfer the fish to a salad bowl and let it cool. At this time, put together all the other ingredients to get them ready.
Roughly flake the fish into pieces and then mix in the rest of the prepared ingredients. Before serving, cut the remaining half lime into slices and use as garnish.
Chef Tips: Buy the freshest and smaller cod fish fillet because they are sweeter and more tender than full- grown cod. Check the flesh which should be firm and white.
Household Tips:
When my cake is ready to be frosted, I wipe my countertop with damp paper towel and then line with a clean white or clear trash bag, cut into one layer, and do my masterpiece. After my job is finished, I just gather the bag together with the crumbs and other discarded items and just dump it in the trash can. No more big cleaning to do. I also do this when I have a lot of prep cutting and slicing for a party. This saves me a lot of time cleaning and tidying up.
Editor’s Note: Master Chef Evelyn: 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the U.S., 2009, Filipina Women’s Network; Owner, Philippine Oriental Market Deli, Arlington, Virginia; Founder and President of CHEW (Cancer Help Eat Well) Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) public charity formed to help and cook pro-bono for Filipino-Americans who are afflicted with cancer and other serious illnesses; Culinary writer, master baker and cake designer (kitchen-tested and mastered more than 400 recipes, and counting); Member, Les Dames d’Escoffier International, Washington DC Chapter; Member, International Cake Exploration Society, Master Chef, French Cuisine and Patisserie, Le Cordon Bleu, London, U.K.; Producer/Host of the cooking show “Evelyn’s Kitchen Cooking with Friends”
© 2011, Manila Mail. All rights reserved.
