A cod loin baked under a crust of nuts, garlic and herbs, served with pan-browned Brussels sprouts.
This baked cod comes to the table with a golden crust of chopped nuts and white flesh that breaks into juicy flakes. Alongside it, Brussels sprouts, tender inside and well browned on their cut sides, add a hint of bitterness. The whole meal takes about 35 minutes to prepare and serves one. One to add to my keto main dishes.
What Is Nut-Crusted Baked Cod ?
It is a cod loin baked in a moderate oven, topped with a mixture that firms up as it cooks. Here, the crust combines chopped pecans or macadamia nuts, an egg yolk, a crushed garlic clove, dried chives and dried parsley. There is no breadcrumb coating or cheese : the yolk binds everything together, and the nuts provide the crunch.
The halved Brussels sprouts brown in a frying pan with garlic and a little red chili, if you like, just like other well-seared vegetables.
The Origins of This Version
Covering delicate fish before baking is a familiar home-cooking technique : the crust protects the flesh, keeps the flavors on the surface and adds texture. Whether you use breadcrumbs, herbs or nuts, the principle is the same.
This version puts nuts front and center. Crushed into small pieces, they brown gently while the thick, evenly shaped cod loin cooks without drying out.
The Main Ingredients
Choose a sustainably caught cod loin and pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels : the crust sticks better to a dry surface. Use half a tablespoon of butter or mild olive oil, half to grease the baking dish and half to coat the fish before adding the salt and topping.
Keep the nuts chunky, crushing them in a mortar without turning them into a paste. Pecans give a deeper flavor, while macadamias bring a richer, more buttery taste. Garlic is used twice : one clove in the crust and two in the sprouts.
Allow 150 g of trimmed Brussels sprouts per serving and half a red chili, if desired. For pan-frying, use avocado oil, mild olive oil or high-oleic sunflower oil, as you would for stir-fried Chinese cabbage.
Cooking Tips and Serving
The sprouts cook for about 20 minutes over moderate heat : if the heat is too high, the loose leaves will blacken. Add the crushed garlic and chili after 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bake the thawed cod for 13 to 15 minutes at 180 °C. If cooking it from frozen, allow close to half an hour and keep an eye on the color of the nuts.
The fish is ready when the flesh turns opaque and flakes with a fork, and the crust is just golden, as with an air fryer fish fillet. Serve immediately with the fish crust-side up and the sprouts alongside rather than underneath, to keep the nuts crunchy.
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Baked cod with a nut crust and pan-fried Brussels sprouts
Print Recipe Pin the recipe Add to my listIngredients
- 1 loin of cod sustainably caught
- 0.5 tablespoon butter (from grass-fed cows), or mild olive oil
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 clove garlic
- 0.5 teaspoon chives (dried)
- 0.5 teaspoon parsley (dried)
- A handful of pecans or macadamia nuts
For the Brussels Sprouts
- 150 g Brussels sprouts net weight
- 2 cloves garlic
- 0.5 red chili pepper (chili or Spanish pepper), optional
- 2 tablespoons oil avocado, mild olive or high-oleic sunflower
Instructions
- Take the fish out of the freezer a few hours ahead and place it in the refrigerator. Take the fish out of the refrigerator. If you are short on time, let the fish thaw outside the refrigerator.1 loin of cod
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Clean the Brussels sprouts and cut them in half.150 g Brussels sprouts
- Heat the oil in the frying pan and add the Brussels sprouts. Do not turn the heat up too high, or the outer or loose leaves may burn.2 tablespoons oil
- Crush the first two garlic cloves with a garlic press, cut the small chili pepper into small pieces and add them after about 10 minutes. Cook the Brussels sprouts for about 20 minutes in total.2 cloves garlic, 0.5 red chili pepper
- Crush the third garlic clove with a garlic press. Crumble or crush the nuts (in a mortar). Separate the egg and keep the yolk. Do not use the white. Beat the yolk with the herbs, garlic and nuts.1 clove garlic, A handful of pecans, 1 egg yolk, 0.5 teaspoon chives, 0.5 teaspoon parsley
- Use half the butter to grease the bottom of the baking dish. Pat the fillet dry and place it on the butter. Spread the remaining butter over the fillet. Sprinkle the fillet with salt. Spread the egg mixture over the fillet. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes.0.5 tablespoon butter
