Minionship

Poor Brad and Cass. Neither of them has come up with an internship for the summer, so Mom is now threatening to make them do a "minionship" with her instead. As in, Brad and Cass would be Mama Gru's minions at her beck and call while they're home from school next summer. If that's not enough to get you out looking for a summer job, nothing is.



(Did you catch the reference to tighty-whities in the trailer?)

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This may be of limited appeal to anyone but Mom and me and maybe Dylan, but it's quick and tasty and a good way to get in protein, B vitamins, and some omega-3 fatty acids. We've already had this several times, and it works well with frozen cod that has been defrosted, so you can stock the fillets up in your freezer and just let them defrost in the fridge for a day or two before you want to cook them.

The fillet on the left has the skinned side showing.

Butter-Basted Cod Fillets

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated March/April 2020 (helpful video)

Time: ~22 minutes

Wild-caught Alaskan cod is generally the most sustainable, so look for that. Cook's Illustrated says you can substitute red snapper or haddock, but neither of those is as sustainable as Alaskan cod. It's a little dicey, in my experience, getting an accurate temperature of a fish fillet. Once I got around the stated temperatures, I started going by feel and how long the fillets had been cooking. You can take a peek in the middle with a paring knife to make sure it's cooked through; just be careful of overcooking, which can make the fish rubbery.

2 (6- to 8-ounce) cod fillets, ~1 inch thick
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon neutral-flavored oil such as sunflower
3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 medium garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
lemon wedges

    1. Using paper towels, pat the fillets dry all over. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
    2. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When shimmering, turn the heat down to medium. Gently place the fillets skinned side down (see the photo above) in the skillet. Using a thin spatula, gently press down on the fillets for 5 seconds each. Cook, without moving, until the bottom is golden brown, about 4 minutes.
    3. Gently flip the fillets, and cook for 1 minute. Add the butter to the skillet. When the butter is melted, tilt the skillet toward you. Using a large spoon, baste both fillets all over with melted butter for 15 seconds. Set the skillet back down and cook for 30 seconds. Alternate basting and cooking flat until the fillets register 130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer (see note). (Take the temperature at the thickest part of each fillet.) Add the crushed garlic cloves and thyme sprigs to the top of the skillet and baste with butter. Again alternate basting and cooking flat until the fillets reach 140 degrees. Total cooking time should be about 8 to 10 minutes.
    4. Gently transfer the cooked fillets to two serving plates. Spoon the browned butter from the skillet over the fillets. Garnish with the thyme sprigs. Serve promptly with lemon wedges. Serves 2.