Baked cod fillets with baby eels and mussel cream

Compañeir @ ​​s of the kitchen, today we have a very simple recipe to prepare in which the peixe is the most important, that is of quality, so that these loins of baked cod with eels and cream of mussels or Menduiña cod, They are yummy.   And since I dared to do it this time, I used quality cod, juicy cod loins, the authentic Gadus Morhua hooked in the cold waters of the North Atlantic. If we combine this premium piece with some mussels from Galicia, you can imagine what a great combination.

Cod is one of the most appreciated ingredients in Galician and Portuguese gastronomy. This fish belongs to the family of the Gádidos, as well as the haddock, the great tit, the broccoli and the pout. There are about 60 different species, although the best known and of greater commercial importance is the common cod. In this case the dish is made with fresh cod but it is also highly appreciated in salting. I will soon present you some recipe.

This cod has the name Menduiña, a beautiful name, right? It belongs to one of the most beautiful beaches we have in Galicia, not very big but cozy, with abundant white sand and water so transparent that it gives the impression of being in the Caribbean (although with a temperature that screams Rias Baixas ). If you feel like getting lost this summer it is in Cangas do Morrazo, province of Pontevedra.

Preparation of the Cod

1. We peel the potatoes, wash them in cold water and cut them into half centimeter slices, that is, bakery potatoes. We dry the potatoes with absorbent kitchen paper and reserve.
2. We put a very large frying pan on the fire with the olive oil. Heat the oil, add a piece of potato and when bubbles come out, add the rest. Fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes. They are not completely made but they have just been prepared in the oven.
3. We remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and drain them well. Season with salt and pepper and reserve in a baking dish. We remove the oil from the pan. You can use this oil perfectly for other recipes.
4. In this case, I used some desalted cod loins to advance the recipe time and not worry about whether it is good or badly desalted.
5. We preheat the oven for 10 min at 180º. On the baking sheet, place a julienne onion base and on top another layer of bakery potatoes. We put the loins on top, bathed with a drizzle of olive oil and minced garlic. We let it be done for 10-15 min at 180º, and we are checking the optimal point to remove it.

Preparation of the garnish

1. We wash the mussels very well in cold water and remove all the impurities that come in the bag. We heat a glass of water in a saucepan, when the water begins to boil add a bay leaf and then the mussels. We leave them cooking 3 minutillos and as soon as they are all open we remove them with a slotted spoon. Let cool and reserve on a plate. We are not going to throw the cooking water, strain it and leave it in a glass.
2. We remove the mussels helped by a good knife, we drag the whole mussel until the interior is clean. Chop the mussels into small pieces and reserve on a plate.
3. In a frying pan, with a little olive oil, add the chopped leek with a splash of Ribeiro white wine and leave it poaching. Next we add the chopped mussels and a tablespoon of flour to thicken the sauce. Leave for about 5 min over medium heat and add the reserved mussel broth. Once the sauce has been reduced, we pour it into a mixing bowl and pass it through the Chinese or blender, until we get a cream texture.
4. We only have to prepare the gluttony. Chop the minced garlic cloves, add a good oil to the pan and add the minced garlic cloves for about 2 minutes over low heat, correct salt and pepper.
5. We introduce the gulas to the casserole. We stir everything gently to mix the flavors for about 2 minutes, add a pinch of ground cayenne to give a spicy taste to the dish.

Plating advice

We place the cod loin, with a layer of gulas and cover with a little of the mussel cream. Next, some baked potatoes and a strip of cream to decorate. We serve it very hot and with a little bread because the sauce in this recipe is great. Ready and lick your fingers!

Be sure to enjoy all the recipes for fish and seafood that we have on the blog, I assure you that you will find a lot of ideas to make yours much happier.