Sesame Seed Crusted Medallions of Cod with a Red Wine Sauce and Pine Nut Spinach

Preparation time 30 min, Cooking time 25 min

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

•  4 cod medallions – 150g (5 oz) skin on
• Salt & pepper

Crust

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ½ cup of white sesame seeds
• 2 fresh pimentos (or to taste), diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
• 1 teaspoon ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Celery seed
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• Freshly cracked Black Pepper to taste
• Salt

Fish

• Salt and Pepper for seasoning
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper   8 spring onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter

Red wine sauce

• 1 ¼ cups of red wine
• ½ onion chopped
• 1 tablespoon concentrated beef stock
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Salt & pepper

Butter sauce

• 2 tablespoons chopped shallots
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup white wine
• ½ cup fish stock or bottled clam juice
• 150g (2/3 cup) cold unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper
• Lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives

Spinach

• 2 cups of fresh cleaned spinach
• ½ cup pine nuts
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. Red wine sauce: Combine red wine, onion and beef stock in a small saucepan and sauté.   Let it reduce by two thirds.
2. Butter sauce: In a skillet sauté shallots in 2 tablespoons of butter.  Add white wine and fumet and reduce by two thirds.  Add the cold unsalted butter in bits.  Don’t let sauce boil.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. Crust: Heat sesame oil in a skillet.  Add sesame seeds, fresh pimentos, garlic, ground fennel seed, ground cumin, black pepper, celery seed, salt and sugar.  Sautee until lightly toasted.
4. Fish: Fry medallions of cod with a paper towel and season with salt & pepper.  In a new skillet with hot vegetable oil.  Sear for a few minutes per side to develop a nice crust.  Be vigilant, for it is delicate fish.  Remove the medallions from the skillet.
5. Place your toasted crust on a large plate.  Brush the medallions with a honey, then coat with sesame seed crust.
6. Now, going back to the red wine sauce, season with salt & pepper, and sugar.
7. Drizzle some fresh lemon juice into your reduced butter sauce. Stir in your chives.
8. Melt butter in a skillet. Add spinach and sauté until just wilted.  Add pine nuts and toss.
9. Place spinach in the middle of the plate and top with cod medallions.  Pour butter sauce in a ring around the spinach.  Pour red wine sauce in a second ring around the butter sauce to form 2 concentric circles.  Top with 2 chive stalks.