Cod. One of my favorite fish. My mother would have you believe that her cravings she experienced for McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish as I was in utero is to blame for my fishy appetite. Growing up Catholic, cod seemed to be a staple on Friday’s during lent. Battered and fried. Served with steak fries, tartar sauce, lemon and slaw. Cod was also a reoccurring selection in the many Wisconsin supper clubs that my family would frequent when I was a child.
It is a lean white fish with a mild flavor and flaky texture. It is quite versatile because of its mild flavor and a great selection for those that aren’t exactly seasoned seafood eaters.
Cod has become a source of consumer dilemma: how to enjoy cod while acknowledging and acting on the reality of its dwindling supply. Hopefully I can clear some of this up for you.
Mark Kurlansky is a James Beard award winning author and journalist and has written on several subjects that may be fascinating to anyone interested in food, culture, and how specific ingredients we consume throughout our diets are intertwined with history and human civilization. Among some of his subjects for his historical biographies are salt, oysters, milk and salmon. His books are often packed with odd facts, great detail, historical inset illustrations, photos and maps. I find Kurlansky’s work immensely entertaining.
My favorite book of Kurlansky’s is Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World. It is a historical account of how the Atlantic Cod shaped global exploration, economies, diets and wars of hundreds of years. It details the rise of cod as a prized commodity and its tragic decline due to overfishing. Largely a cautionary tale, Kurlansky wrote this book in the mid 1990s shortly after a moratorium was put into effect prohibiting the fishing of Atlantic cod off the coast of Newfoundland and the Grand Banks. While the book ends on a pessimistic note, modern efforts in fishing limits and improved understanding of the cod’s recovery have offered hope that this essential fish will rise from scarcity once again.
So as a consumer, how do you know what is ethically safe to eat? It starts with wanting to make an impact and help to sustain fish populations. Care equally about the environment and the food you eat. Having a reliable fish monger that will answer your questions and provide information on the types of fish they supply and the methods in which the fish have been caught is key. Some methods like pole or hook and line fishing are preferred for its environmentally low-impact. Trolling is another sustainable method that involves dragging several baited line or lures behind a slow moving boat. Trawling, longlining, and gillnetting are a few unsustainable methods that threaten non-targeted species though bycatch. Many of the fish will drown in these nets or long hooks. In addition, “ghost nets” are nets that are lost or discarded through these methods and continue to trap marine life for years.
Inquire about weather or not the fish is certified. Often, many different types of fish species are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Also, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) FishWatch provides information on U.S. domestic seafood, including how species are managed and which are sustainable.
But I digress. I am here to offer a wonderful cod dish perfect for this time of year when the days are getting shorter and the weather getting cooler. It combines two of my favorite things: delicious cod and New England Clam Chowder. The cod that I source is primarily Icelandic cod, which is a stock that has been successfully rebuilt and is quite stable.
For my chowder, I definitely fall in the “no bacon” camp. Traditionally, chowders were made with salt pork. This is because before modern refrigeration, salt pork didn’t require refrigeration. The salt pork offers a subtle, meaty and umami flavor that (to me), helps emphasize the flavor of the clams and clam broth. In the 20th century, bacon largely replaced salt pork as it was more common in kitchens and easier to find. The choice is up to your preference, but if you are looking to make a real traditional New England Clam Chowder, there is no substitute for salt pork.
This dish is a favorite in my home. It is a simply cooked cod filet served over chowder. I prop the cod up on some pain grille (or French crostinis) to give it some height over the chowder. The chowder acts as the sauce, the starch, the veg and the cod can be eaten bite by bite, or flaked into the chowder, whatever you prefer. Perfect fall dish. While shopping for clams, my fish monger had only large quahog or chowder clams. This to me is ideal. They are larger clams that tend to be tougher than little neck clams.
Sauteed Icelandic Cod with New England Clam Chowder
Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, sliced
2 bay leaves
12 ea. quahog clams, in shell, rinsed and scrubbed
2 oz. water
4 oz. salt pork, minced
1/2 stick butter, unsalted
1 onion, Spanish, small dice
4 celery ribs, small dice
2 teaspoons, thyme, dried
6 tablespoons flour, all purpose
4 cups whole milk
2 russet potatoes, medium dice
1. Heat olive oil in a large pot with lid. Add the shallots and bay leaves. Let the shallots sauté for 1 minute.
2. Add the clams and coat in the oil and shallots. Add the water to the pot and cover. Let steam for 4 minutes.
3. Check the clams to see if they have opened. Remove any opened clams with tongs from the pot and set in a medium sized bowl. Return the lid to allow more time for the other clams to open. Once the clams are cooled, chop into small pieces.
4. Once all the clams are opened and removed from the pot, drain and reserve the clam broth.
5. In the same pot, add the salt pork and begin to render the fat for about 5 minutes.
6. Add the whole butter and continue to render the salt pork for about 3 more minutes. Do not brown the butter or pork.
7. Add the onions and celery and cook for 5 minutes or until the celery and onions become translucent. Add the dried thyme.
8. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute creating a roux.
9. Add the clam stock back to the pot and stir into the roux until fully incorporated.
10. Add the milk to the pot, about a cup at a time. Mix in fully before adding another cup.
11. Bring the milk to a boil, lower to a simmer.
12. Add the potatoes and slowly simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fully cooked.
13. Add the chopped clams back to the chowder and adjust the seasoning with salt if necessary (the salt pork and the clams will add salinity to the soup, so I tend not to season until the end).
Pain Grille (toasted baguette)
1 baguette, fresh, cut into circles 1/2 inch thick
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
- Pour the olive oil onto a small saucer or plate about 1/4 inch deep
- Invert one side of the baguette circle onto the oil. Lay out onto a baking tray with the olive oil side up.
- Season with salt.
- Bake in a 375°F oven until golden brown along the edges and crispy, about 8-10 minutes.
Sautéed Icelandic Cod
4 ea. 6oz. portions Icelandic cod
Salt to taste
1-1/2 oz. canola oil
1 tablespoon butter
Parsley or scallions for garnish
1. Season the cod filet with salt.
2. Heat oil in a pan until it smokes slightly.
3. Add the cod to the pan and let sauté. After about 2 minutes, add the butter and set the pan in the oven without flipping the cod.
4. Let roast in the oven for about 4 minutes or until it is no longer translucent. Flip the fish over and baste with the butter in the pan for 30 seconds.
5. To plate, add 3-4 pieces pain grille to the plate. Ladle about 6 oz. of chowder around the pain grille. Place the cod filet on top of the pain grille, garnish and serve!
To learn another great cod preparation, I urge you to check out Chef Sara’s blog detailing one of my favorite dishes: brandade.
In addition, if you are interested in learn more about chowder or fish cookery, please check out our upcoming Culinary Boot Camp in January 2026!
