How to make fresh cod the French way (as seen on TV)

Last week, Heather Roberts invited me back to do another cooking demo on her locally produced lifestyle show called ciLiving on WCIA. I chose to showcase a new French recipe I developed based on a dish we ate on our recent trip to France (also see my France travel blog). 

On this trip, we booked a 6-day riverboat cruise with a French company called CroisiEurope and they had a great chef onboard. We ate the best gourmet French food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day for a week. And we wine for lunch and dinner. And all the champagne and cognac we could drink. It was foodie heaven!

Our onboard chef was a big fan of nouvelle cuisine, which has been all the rage in France since the 1970s. Popularized by Chef Paul Bocuse of Lyon, this cuisine is more of a philosophy than a style of cooking. Using high quality ingredients, simple cooking methods, and beautiful presentations, every dish we ate on the cruise was artistically plated, creatively garnished, and tasted amazing. And the sauces! The French love their sauces which are always infused with amazing flavors. In France, every meal is an aesthetic experience for both the eyes and the taste buds.

The French like to make their sauces from pan drippings and this dish is no different. After cooking the fish in butter or ghee, the same pan is used to make the sauce by adding onions, garlic, and white wine. After the wine is reduced and strained, cream is added, then the seasoning is adjusted. To make the plate beautiful, we garnished it with a simple pea puree which added a vibrant green color to the presentation. 

You can taste this dish on October 23 when I will be making this exact recipe at my "Philosophy of Lyon's Nouvelle Cuisine" cooking class. Also on the menu for the evening is Vichyssoise (chilled potato soup), Salade Lyonnaise, and Fresh Berries with Coulis Sauce. This class is part of my "Taste of France" deep dive cooking series scheduled for this fall at Harvest Market's demo kitchen. Each class in this series is also a traditional multi-course French dinner including a luscious dessert course and wine pairings selected by Harvest Market's wine steward.

WCIA's ciLiving is broadcast every weekday at 3pm and their segments are also archived on YouTube. You can find the full recipe for this fresh cod recipe and many other dishes on my website: www.cooking-with-paul.com. 

More information about my cooking classes and pop-up events can always be found on my website, where you'll also find over 150 recipes from my classes (no ads!). You can also subscribe to my email newsletter or follow me on Instagram or Facebook and like my posts. Bon appétit!