COD, NOT JUST FOR FISH AND CHIPS

I am very much enjoying swimming through the newness of this year. For meals, I'm chasing after delicate things like khichdi with a lot of vegetables, salads with soft-boiled eggs, and this sunshine-y seafood stew that I'm sharing today. The recipe is based on rundown, a Jamaican dish with many different versions, the non-negotiable elements being coconut milk and seafood. It's fun to eat and full of warmth from a fragrant bouquet of ginger, scotch bonnet pepper, and allspice. All of my favorite things! 

There are plenty of substitutions if cod is not your thing. Did you know that

Mark Bittman

described cod as "the paradigm of white-fleshed fish" in his ever-helpful book Fish? Just saying. Shrimp is a reliable replacement. Crab is fancy and fun. If you don't eat seafood, you could easily do this with a can of drained chickpeas in place of the fish. You know, two very similar things. I have, in fact, made this with chickpeas for friends, and they seemed to enjoy it. What I'm trying to say is, use this recipe as an equation for endless seafood and vegetable combinations. In the summer, I will exchange the winter squash for corn, tomato paste for fresh tomatoes, and keep the cod front and center. A golden pool for all seasons. 

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WHAT WE'RE LEARNING

Gently poaching seafood is an excellent way to avoid messing up. This is especially true for lower-fat fish like cod that can dry out quite quickly. Poaching also allows a two-way infusion of liquid to seafood and seafood to liquid. 

Hot peppers are essential for their aroma and heat. Part of the romance of this meal is the hot pepper. Consider the spectrum of cooking options below to ensure your pepper is working for you and not the other way around. 

• MILD: Place the pepper in the dish whole, as recommended in the recipe. Stir gently while cooking so as not to break the skin and release its spicy guts. If it becomes very fragile at the end of the cooking process, remove it.

• MEDIUM: Make a medium incision in the pepper's skin and add it to the soup. This allows a small amount of heat to sneak out while avoiding overwhelming spice.

• HOT: Slice the pepper in half and use half, my personal preference. Freeze the other half for future use.

• NO SPICE: Place the pepper in a reusable container and give it to a friend who likes spicy things. Alternatively, I’ve found two varieties at the farmers’ market, the habanada and a heatless scotch bonnet. Both were great and provided decent flavor without any pain.

Blooming or tempering your spices is essential for full, complex flavors. When whole or ground spices meet hot oil, more fragrance and flavor are coerced out than if added straight to a broth. Learn more in this article if you're curious.