I am exhausted. I have been so busy, I’ve barely had time to relax and enjoy a good meal. I’ve endured mediocre take out meals for the entire week, and by Thursday, my digestive system was completely shot. I promised myself that Sunday would be the day I would eat something from my own kitchen, a meal that was tasty but that was quick to make so that I could rest and relax a little more. Oh, and something that didn’t come out of a plastic container. That meal was spicy crusted cod – delicious.
Spicy crusted cod is so gosh darn tasty, and really easy make, and exactly what I needed. You will be able to rustle this up no problem.
The spicy in this dish is sambal oelek. If you like spicy but have never used sambal oelek, you really should give it a try. It is simply a mixture of red chili peppers, vinegar and salt. There are other versions of sambal oelek that include shrimp paste, garlic or fish sauce, so make sure to read the label on the sauce you buy, you don’t want any unexpected flavors. Sambal oelek has a slightly chunky substance, so it helps to bind ingredients together, and works really well in a sauce. I used it in the crust and the sauce for this dish, it’s so good.
I had planned to serve my spicy crusted cod with mashed sweet potato, but instead I kept it simple and made a tomato salad. A quick and easy meal, perfect for whenever you want to avoid takeout or prepared meals, but have little time to spend in the kitchen. Give it a try.
Spicy Crusted Cod
Ingredients
- 2 8 oz cod fillets
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 2/3 cup of fresh breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup of panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp sambal oelek
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter melted
Spicy Sauce Ingredients
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp sambal oelek
- 1 cup vegetable stock
Equipment & Utensils
- Ovenproof container
- Shallow pan
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry cod fillets.
- Season with salt and set aside.
- Tip both types of breadcrumbs into a bowl and then add sesame seeds, then mix.
- Add sambal oelek and mix throughly.
- Drizzle cod fillets with half of the melted butter and then pat breadcrumb mixture on top of cod fillets until they are completely covered
- Drizzle with the remaining melted butter and then place in a preheated oven at 400 for 30 mins, until cod begins to flake.
- Make spicy sauce as soon as fish is ready and serve immediately.
Spicy Sauce Directions
- Heat sambal oelek and butter in a pan until butter has melted.
- Add vegetable stock and stir until bubbling.
Notes
To make fresh breadcrumbs, take a couple of slices and break them up into a blender and pulse until you have your required consistency.
