Baked Cod
(Inspired by “Midwest Girl Goes Shopping for Codfish,” p. 115, Cornfields to Codfish)
When I buy a lump of fresh fish, I like to cook it immediately. No overnight reservation in the Malcolm fridge. June, Bill’s mum, also loved fish, and she preferred to taste the fish over any other ingredient in a fish dish. I think of her when I bake cod or similar flaky whitefish. This is a light version of baked cod – no butter.
A sprinkle of lemon pepper over a pound of skinless cod fillets on my seasoned round metal pizza pan. Put a light coat of cooking spray on unseasoned pans.) Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the fish flakes with a fork. Top with a squeeze of lemon when it comes out of the oven . . . lovely, as June used to say.
“I couldn’t find cod in the frozen section of my local supermarket. I approached the fish counter. “I’m looking for frozen cod. Where would I find that?” The look and the pause from the man at the fish counter was more telling than the words “Why would you want that?” uttered in his Boston accent.” (p. 115, Cornfields to Codfish)