Pan-Fried Cod with Two Sauces

I'm usually the one who picks out our meals since Im the house chef. Poor Alyssa sometimes ends up hungry if the food is too spicy or gamey for her. So I finally decided to let her choose what she wanted to eat. I was not surprised when she chose Pan fried Cod with Beurre Blanc sauce. Ever since I first made it earlier this year she's been "subtly" hinting that I should make it again. I treated my baby, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to this recipe too.  

If you don't have galangal, you can substitute fresh ginger. Don't use dried galangal, it has a different, less sharp flavor.  Blood oranges are sometimes hard to find, so tangerines or even regular oranges will work for this recipe. When you pick out your blood oranges, look for ones that are beginning to turn red on the outside. 

To make this recipe you'll need:

Blood Orange Beurre Blanc 

1 inch piece of galangal, peeled and minced

1 garlic clove, minced

Juice and zest of 2 blood oranges

1 shallot, diced 

1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon (optional)

1/4 cup semi-dry white wine

3/4 cup butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Brown Butter and Vinegar Reduction

1/4 cup balsamic or sherry vinegar

1/4 cup white wine

Juice of 1 tangerine

3 tbsp softened butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Pan-Fried Cod

1 lbs cod fillet

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp butter

Tangerine juice

Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper before you do anything else, then let them sit while you make the Beurre Blanc. 

Make the Beurre Blanc first since that can just sit on a back burner while you do everything else. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a medium saucepan and start sautéing the garlic and galangal. Once they get aromatic and slightly brown, about 30-60 seconds, add the onion, tarragon, and orange zest. Sauté for another minute or two to infuse all the flavors, then add the wine and orange juice. 

Boil until it's reduced to a syrup, then take it off the heat and whisk in the remaining butter until it's thick and creamy. If it's too thick, you can thin it with more orange juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then set it over very low heat to stay warm while you cook the fish. Make sure it isn't boiling, just hot enough to keep the sauce warm.  

Since you seasoned the fish beforehand, they should have firmed up while you made the Beurre Blanc. This way, they won't falls apart as easily in the pan.

Melt the butter in a nonstick pan (trust me you want to use nonstick). Once it's hot, put in as many pieces of fish as will fit. Mine is small so it only fit three. Cook the fish for 7 minutes on one side, flip it, and cook it 4 minutes on the other. Don't forget to squeeze some tangerine juice over them as they're cooking. 

Once the fish is done cooking, transfer it to a plate and deglaze the pan with white wine and balsamic vinegar. Reduce it a bit, squeeze in the juice of another tangerine, and whisk in the butter one tablespoon at a time. 

Strain it through a fine mesh sieve into a small serving bowl, then strain the Beurre Blanc into a serving bowl as well. Serve the fish with roasted asparagus, creamed ramps, and/or rice pilaf.