Are you a traditionalist for Christmas? Do you look forward to your Christmas Turkey glistening on the table next to all it’s traditional accompaniments? Do you enjoy diving into it after a day of watching Christmas movies, visiting with family and cleaning up the wrapping paper bomb that was inevitably detonated after weeks of frantic anxiety to make sure you got just the right gift for everyone and balanced out all the needed requirements that this crazy hectic season brings? You do??? Then this Christmas meal isn’t for you. Or maybe it is. We all are well aware by now that 2020 did not live up to it’s “Roaring” hopes of a happy and exciting kickoff to another decade. Well, it lived up to the roaring in that it is not a year that any of us will soon forget. But this year has been full of many adjustments to the norm. Maybe you are looking for a more low key Christmas dinner for just you and your close family since all the relatives aren’t coming. Maybe, you are thinking, “Let’s switch things up and treat ourselves!”. Then maybe this is just the right article for you…
Spain has long been known as a country that enjoys simple, yet decadent, indulgences. Amazing cheeses, savory & flavor-packed meats, wines full of body and fruit hints and of course, fresh and plentiful seafood. A country known for working to live and not living to work, they take absolute care in making the most out of the time they have and indulging in what their gorgeous country has to offer. A traditional Christmas dinner found in Spain can range from a turkey stuffed with truffles or if near the sea, a bountiful seafood option. Their big Holiday meal is also primarily eaten on Christmas Eve or “Nochebuena” , before heading to their Religious services. After the midnight service, one old tradition was for people to walk through the streets carrying torches, playing guitars and beating on tambourines and drums. One Spanish saying is ‘Esta noche es Noche-Buena, Y no Es noche de dormir’ which means “Tonight is the good night and it is not meant for sleeping!”
We in the States normally do turkey and such. So getting to do something different like Fish or Seafood was something that appealed to me. Especially with being from a seaside town myself. While their seafood meals can range from Lobsters and Mollusk to Clams and Crabs, Roasted Fish also usually finds its way to their table.
I opted to go with Cod, a popular fish choice in Spain and keep things simple in terms of preparation. You are going to sear each side and then finish roasting it in the oven. A simple sprinkling of kosher salt and pepper with some olive oil are all you need. Trust me, you are going to get a LOT more flavor in what’s going to be going with it. Cook your fish until it reaches and internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, heat some olive oil over medium high heat and place 2 cups of grape tomatoes in the pan. Cook until tomatoes start to blister. I like using the multi-colored ones because it brings even more flavor to the dish and believe it or not, the different colors do bring different flavors to the table.
After the tomatoes start to blister, you want to add in diced eggplant and let that cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Add to this mixture sliced peppers and onions, which can be fresh or frozen. Again, the more colors you bring to the table, the more flavor you are going to have. Stir this mixture to start breaking down the tomatoes and meshing the ingredients together.
Add your spices and black pepper to your mixture and a little more oil if needed. Cook all your veggies until tender and soft, with the tomatoes breaking down.
While the pan is still on, add in your sliced green olives and turn your heat off. To switch things up, add in torn slices of chorizo sausage. You can find this in more cheese sections where you would find charcuterie items. This is just going to add in an extra kick of flavor.
The majority of items in this dish, aside from the olives and the chorizo, are actually the same as what you would find in a traditional Ratatouille. However, this is being used as more of a sauce then a side dish on it’s own. It goes to show with the right seasonings and/or cooking methods can change up the regionality of a dish.
Once your fish is cooked properly and your Vegetables are done, you are ready to assemble your dish. Spoon a bit of your vegetable mixture on the bottom of the plate and carefully place a piece of your cod on top. You can sprinkle a little extra crushed back pepper on top and garnish with an herb of your choice. That’s it. Deceptively simple but elegant and tasty. Additionally, this dish is pretty healthy overall, especially if you leave out the chorizo. But what’s the fun in that?
So whether you want to treat yourself to a different type of Christmas dinner or tuck this one in your back pocket for New Year’s Eve or another night, we really need to take a lesson from Spain and make meals as well as life, more enjoyable. Savor the little things and take everything in. Especially after the year that we have had, I think we all are heading in the right direction.
Spanish Roasted Cod with Chorizo Sautéed Vegetables
Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes
- 2 lbs Fresh or Frozen Cod
- Salt & Pepper to Taste
- 2 cups Grape Tomatoes
- 2 cups Eggplant, diced
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Spanish Paprika
- 2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 1/2 cups Peppers, multi-colored, sliced
- 1 cup Spanish Onion, sliced
- 1/2 cup Green Olives, sliced
- 5oz Sliced Chorizo, torn into 1 inch pieces
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large skillet, heat about 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add in grape tomatoes and cook until they start to blister, about 5 minutes.
Add in diced eggplant and cook for another 5 minutes. Add in Cumin, Spanish Paprika, Salt and Pepper.
Next, add peppers and onions into pan and cook until softened. Stir the mixture so tomatoes can begin to break down.
Once everything has broken down, add in the olives. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chorizo while the pan is still very hot.
While your vegetable mixture is cooking, pat dry your cod pieces down with paper towels. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
In a medium sauté pan, heat about 2 tbsp olive oil over medium to high heat. Place cod in pan carefully and cook until a nice brown sear is achieved. Flip fish and place in oven.
Cook for 10 minutes and check temperature to ensure fish reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees.
On serving plate, spoon some of the vegetable mixture on first and then place cod on top. Serve with your favorite herb garnish such as chives and cilantro.
Enjoy!