Fish with Pine Nut Sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 whole cod (weighing about 5½ pounds)
- salt
- 1 lemon, cut into thin slices
- To garnish: 3 tablespoons pine nuts or 4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, and 2 lemons, sliced
- 2 slices good white bread, ½ inch thick
- 12/3 cups pine nuts
- juice of 2 lemons
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- salt
Instructions:
This is a dish that is served cold and is especially good for a buffet party.
- Brush a large sheet of foil with a little of the olive oil. Place the fish in the middle, sprinkle lightly with salt and rub with the remaining oil. Sprinkle the cavity of the fi sh with a little salt and put in the lemon slices. Wrap in a loose parcel, twisting the foil edges together to seal it. Wrap the head and tail separately in another piece of foil.
- Bake the fi sh in an oven preheated to 400°F for 45 minutes, or until done. To test for doneness, cut into the thickest part and check that the flesh flakes and has turned white right through. The head and tail should come out of the oven after 20 minutes.
- For the sauce, cut away the crusts from the bread (it should now weigh about 3 ounces) and soak the slices in water. Blend the pine nuts to a paste in the food processor. Then add the bread, squeezed dry, lemon juice, and garlic and blend well. Add a little salt and about 3 to 4 tablespoons of cold water—just enough to blend to the consistency of thick cream.
- Serve the fi sh cold, covered with the sauce, and with the head and tail in place. Decorate with a pattern using pine nuts that have been fried gently in a drop of oil until slightly colored, or with parsley, and with lemon slices cut into half-moon shapes.