So That's How They Do It!

I have just discovered marination. Wow. My fish-life just got a lot more flavorful.

Last week, Local Catch Monterey Bay provided black cod, and I decided to try something other than frying it in garlic and butter. I decided to bake it, and like Robert Frost, I found that that has made all the difference.

I chose the following recipe from the Local Catch website:

Baked or Grilled Black Cod Teriyaki

Quantities are for 2 black cod steaks or fillets.

2 black cod steaks or fillets
2 teaspoons melted butter
1/2 cup teriyaki marinade
2+ cloves minced garlic
black pepper

1 Mix together the melted butter, marinade, garlic, and a few dashes of pepper. Pour the mixture over black cod steaks in a shallow glass dish, and let marinate for at least 20 minutes.
2 Bake at 350 in a casserole or baking dish in the marinade for about 20-30 minutes or until fish flakes easily.
OR
Grill on a stovetop grill pan or BBQ grill, turning carefully once, until fish flakes easily, about 15 to 20 minutes, brushing occasionally with marinade.
3 Serve with rice, with the juices (if you baked) poured on top.

I had to look up marinating, because I wasn't sure what all I had to do. Apparently, not much, which is fantastic, given the results. At the store, I didn't see any plain teriyaki marinade, so I chose a sesame seed teriyaki marinade, and I'm quite pleased with the results. (I also looked up cloves, just to make sure I was right and wasn't going to use too much or too little garlic. Scratch that; there is no such thing as too much garlic, only too little.)

Here are photos of the fish and the marinade before and after baking:






I now love baking fish. All I had to do was prepare it, marinate it, and stick it in the oven, and then serve it up with a packet of Trader Joe's Rice Medley.







From the first bite, I was extremely happy. It was sweet and flavorful, with the marination having done the trick. I paired it with a 2009 Le Cigare Blanc from Bonny Doon, and that was very successful.

In other words, hurray for baking!