LINGCOD, "it's not easy being green"

Nor is it easy being a fish nut. When I got a gift of lingcod (from Kirby, my former student and a highly talented free-diver and spear fisherman) I tried to explain to my spouse that it's not really a cod but rather a greenling, and that no, it's still perfectly good even though the fillets were a ghastly blue color (see the pic), and I promised that the flesh would be snowy white and delicious once it was cooked.



Lingcod is in the category of "ridiculously good" when it comes from a larger fish, which for me is anything over ten pounds. These pieces cut from the tail end of the fillets from a 22 lb. fish, are fairly thin and perfect for a simple preparation—à la meunière, sauced with a somewhat lemony-garlicky beurre blanc and served with oven roasted potatoes (the sauce and the spuds are covered in earlier Frangykitchen posts by Trevor and Karen, respectively).

"Meunière" (as I have been told) means "miller's wife" or "female miller," and I am guessing that the logic here is that such a person wouldn't have trouble finding the flour the fish is dusted with before sautéing in butter. I mean, how easy is that?



At least this once, I was able to follow through with my promise—the fish turned snowy white and it was delicious.



P.S.: As I think about it now, I should warn that this approach to fish is not fail-safe—lingcod tail cuts are not available worldwide, and if you're thinking about substituting with something else, know that not all fish are good à la meunière. While this is a fundamental method for fish, I would recommend that it be reserved for the thinner fillets (or pave) of a mild fish that stays moist when it is cooked. If you try this with a thicker cut of a fish that very quickly cooks to flake (i.e., overcooked)—like albacore or any tuna—the result is likely going to be disappointing.