what's cooking wednesday: cuoricini di merluzzo in bianco

My fellow Americans...Happy Fourth of July!

In grand tradition, we probably should be firing up the grill for hot dogs and hamburgers (yes, we have them both here, buns and everything!), but back home we also ate a lot of hardshell crabs to celebrate, so we're going to keep with the seafood theme for this week's What's Cooking Wednesday.

Unfortunately, we don't have good crabs here (they're so tiny!) but we do have excellent cod.

This dish is called "Cuoricini di Merluzzo in Bianco," which is literally "Small Hearts of Cod in White." Sounds romantic doesn't it?

First, let me explain a little about cod. The best description of the different types in Italy I've found is here, and it's broken down like this:

merluzzo: fresh cod

baccalà: conserved, in pieces, under salt (many Italian-Americans have this for Christmas Eve but even more of you probably recognize this as a nickname from a certain gangster TV series that recently ended)

stocco: dried and sold whole

I believe we'd call "cuoricini di merluzzo"cod medallions--round pieces about the size of the palm of your hand.

Note here that we're talking about "pieces of cod" as opposed to "codpieces." Hah! Go ahead, click on it. I'll be here when you get back.

We used frozen cod because someone had given me a bag, but you could also do this with fresh fish (haddock as well, in which case my mom would probably call it "Poor Man's Lobster").

This recipe is so easy and so delicious, there's no reason you shouldn't try it--unless you don't like cod of course. It's great and light for the summer with a simple salad on the side, or you can do it as part of a larger meal with this as an appetizer.

Cuoricini di Merluzzo in Bianco


2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 kg frozen cod medallions (about 8)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
salt to taste
water, enough to cover cod in pan
juice of a lemon for serving

Defrost cod (submerge in cold water if you're in a hurry).

Put olive oil in pan over medium heat, add garlic and allow to cook for a minute or two.

Add cod, salt, and parsley, and let cook on one side of the fish for a few minutes (you'll see it start to brown a bit in spots), then flip.

Turn down heat to low, add enough water to come up to the fish but not cover completely, and let cook for 20-25 minutes. The sauce will be boiling, so just let it as such, giving the pan a shake every so often, until it thickens enough for you.

Serve hot with sauce from pan poured over the fish.

Garnish with a good squirt of fresh lemon juice and a sprig of fresh parsley.

Buon appetito!