Brad, The Recipe Grinder, shows us how to make Cod, Sicilian-Style with Romanico Extra Virgin Arbequina Olive Oil and Grade A Saffron.
Ingredients:
6 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (more as needed)
3 lbs tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/8 tsp saffron threads, crumbled
5 oregano sprigs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Zest of 1 orange, in 1-inch wide stripes (you may want to double this), plus finely grated zest for garnish
5 bay leaves (you may want to double this)
3 whole cloves (you may want to double this)
1 cup Arborio rice (you may want to double this)
Four 4-oz skinless cod or halibut fillets
Chopped parsley, for garnish
Preparation
In a large, deep skillet, heat ¼ cup of the olive oil. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook over moderate heat until the garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and saffron and cook over moderate heat until the tomatoes just begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano and season with salt and black pepper. Cook the sauce over moderately low heat, stirring and crushing the tomatoes with a spoon, until the sauce is thickened and the liquid is reduced, about 35 minutes. Discard the oregano.
Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, combine the orange zest strips, bay leaves, cloves, rice and 1 tbsp of the olive oil and cook until the rice is al dente, 15 to 18 minutes. Drain the rice, discarding the zest, bay leaves and cloves. Return the rice to the pot. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt.
Nestle the cod in the tomato sauce and cook, turning the fillets once, until just opaque throughout, about 12 minutes.
Spoon the rice into bowls and top with the cod and sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and grated orange zest and serve.
