Curried Coconut Citrus Cod #FishFridayFoodies

The richness of the coconut is complemented by the addition of lime and orange juice in this beautiful curried coconut citrus cod. The tender fish is poached in the flavorful sauce. Make it as spicy or as mild as you like.

When the theme for today’s Fish Friday Foodies was announced as Quite the Catch, in celebration of Valentines Day, I knew exactly which recipe I wanted to share. It comes from the great cookbook Orange Appeal by Jamie Schler (with gorgeous photos by Elva Beretta) that was released in August 2017

This first time I made this dish, I halved the ingredients list and cooked only two pieces of cod. Simple, elegant and full of flavor, yet super easy, curried coconut citrus cod would the perfect date night dinner. The problem was that we loved it so much that I kicked myself for not making enough for leftovers.

So despite this being a Valentines Day dinner suggestion, this time around, with permission from my friend, Jamie, I give you the whole fish recipe, which serves four. I skipped the recommended accompaniment of rice pilaf and served mine both times over steamed rice with sweet peas.

If you’d like a copy of Orange Appeal, move quickly, there are only seven left on Amazon! We are right in the middle of citrus season so this is the perfect time. I highly recommend it!

Curried Coconut Citrus Cod

Jamie called this dish Curried Cod Poached in Coconut Milk, Lime and Orange. Aside from shortening the name, I also substituted a hot pepper for her mild one and spicy curry powder, again instead of a milder mix. We like things spicy at our house! You do you.

Ingredients
1 fresh mild green pepper such as a guindilla, Basque fryer, Guernica, or Anaheim, stem removed (Or one small hot red pepper)
1/2 cup or 120 ml fresh lime juice (from about 3 juicy limes)
1/2 cup or 120 ml fresh orange juice (from about 1 1/2 -2 oranges)
1 2/3 cups or 400 ml thick coconut milk or coconut cream (I used cream)
1 tablespoon mild or medium curry powder (or hot!)
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (coriander), plus more for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 (6-ounce / 170 g) thick cod fillets
1 tablespoon butter

To serve: 4 portions of cooked rice – I also added some frozen sweet peas for color and nutrition right at the end of the rice cooking time.

Method
If you prefer non-spicy food, follow Jamie’s instructions to slice your mild pepper in half lengthwise and scrape out and discard the seeds, then slice each half into 2 lengthwise strips. If you are using a red chile pepper because you like spicy food, you can slice it into circles, leaving the seeds intact.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, orange juice, coconut milk, curry powder, cilantro, and with a light sprinkle of salt and a few good grinds of black pepper until blended.

Rinse the cod fillets and pat them dry with paper towels. Lightly salt and pepper each fillet on both sides.

Heat a wok or a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the butter. When the butter melts and begins to sizzle, add the pepper slices and gently slide in the cod fillets and cook to sear quickly for 1 minute; flip and cook the other side for 1 minute. I recommend a non-stick skillet to aid the turning of the fish.

Add the coconut milk mixture to the cod pan and bring it to a low boil. Little bubbles will start coming to the surface. Lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes or until the cod is cooked through. Add more salt, pepper or orange juice to taste. If your fillets aren't completely covered, spoon the hot sauce over the tops of them as they cook.

Serve over cooked rice or even pasta, with an extra sprinkle of chopped cilantro to garnish. The sauce is so flavorful that you’ll want to serve this in shallow bowls with spoons so you don’t miss a drop!

Enjoy!

Check out all the other "Quite the Catch" recipes we are sharing today! Many thanks to our host, Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla!

• Braised Cod Peperonata for Two by Karen at Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Curried Coconut Citrus Cod by Stacy at Food Lust People Love
• Gambas al Ajillo (Spanish Garlic Shrimp) by Caroline at Caroline's Cooking
• Heart Salmon Cakes For A Romantic Meal by Sneha at Sneha's Recipe
• Lobster Thermidor by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Miyagi Oysters with Pomegranate Mignonette by Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Would you like to join Fish Friday Foodies? We post and share new seafood/fish recipes on the third Friday of the month. To join our group please email Wendy at wendyklik1517 (at) gmail.com. Visit our Facebook page and Pinterest page for more wonderful fish and seafood recipe ideas.

Pin this Curried Coconut Citrus Cod!

 .