Seared Cod with Almond Saffron Butter

Guys we made it.  Did anyone have a MARATHON of a week?  I did.  

Also my dogs got sick from both ends at a time when I thought I'd have an hour to catch up and dig in and get my act together and ALL THE THINGS but then of course none of that happened.  

Also I'm working all weekend!  

You're not though, right?  Don't.  Be free.  

Make this!  It's the final component of our fun weekend meal, and you. will. love. it.  Cod is totes one of my favorite fishes, and this preparation is EASY.  Be careful - if you love PRETTY fish you gotta get the skin on to hold this shiz together.  Cod is FLAKY, which is what I love about it, but sometimes some falling apart can happen.  That's ok!  It looks the same after you chew it!  

Sorry about that imagery.  See above.  I gots poo on the brain.  

So cod, before you get even more grossed out.  It will really take you 15 minutes start to finish to make this, so get anything else all ready for your dinner! You need cod, almonds, saffron, and butter.  And salt if you're into salt, but hopefully you don't need to go out and buy that.  

First, let's make the butter.  You can do this in advance, but I do it while the pan for the fish preheats and gets all sizzly.  Whenever you make the butter, add all the ingredients to a small blender or food processor.  Pulse until all smooth-like, then put it in a small bowl and stick the blended butter in the fridge to harden a bit.  You could also roll it into a log if you're feeling like hard work, which I'm not. 

When you're ready to cook the fish, preheat a large skillet (nonstick if you've got one) to medium-high heat with a solid drizzle of olive oil.  Cut the cod into large chunks, if it isn't already.  Now, my cod was kind of iffy on even ... girth ... so I cooked a batch of the thick pieces, and a back of the thin tail-ish pieces.  Make a judgement and don't overcook or undercook any of the fish depending on thickness, but be aware that cod is TOTALLY forgiving and not a dick about being overcooked like some fishes are.  No one likes that fish. 

When the pan is hot, add the cod and sprinkle it lightly with salt.  Then let it sit!  We want the cod to become opaque on the sides and cook for 4-5 minutes until it's ready to flip easily.  It'll start to flake at this point, too. 

When you're ready to brave the flip, carefully flip the fish and make peace with the fact that you aren't perfect and neither am I and sometimes bits of fish don't flip with the whole piece.  It's fine!  You can eat those bits before you serve dinner!  Cook the fish on the second side for 3-4 more minutes until super flaky and cooked through.  

Now here, we serve it over that there polenta we made with some of the butter on top.  

And the asparagus!  Don't forget the asparagus!

No matter what you serve it with, this fish is EPIC, and you will 100% love it.  Make it this weekend, or any weeknight that you want a lovely protein ready in 15 minutes.  The butter MAKES this fish, and the saffron and almonds are just slightly flavorful, not too overpowering for a mild white fish.  

Happy weekend, homies.  We made it.