Cumin Cod with Potatoes au Gratin and Broccoli

I wanted snapper but Save On didn't have a package with two fillets roughly the same size. They were all a great white and a minnow. So I bought cod. Last week I overcooked the cod so this time I wanted to watch the fish more carefully. The problem with cod is it can be quite thick and take a while to cook to the centre. I started the potatoes first.

I peeled four small potatoes, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced. An onion diced and sweated to golden in an 8x8 square pan. In a small pot a roux of a tablespoon of olive oil and a heaping teaspoon of flour.  I cooked the flour taste off and removed from heat. Then I whisked in 1/4 cup chicken stock. (I intended to use beef but the beef stock is in a box and the chicken stock I make myself and is in a glass pitcher, so anyone could confuse them!) Anyway, beef would have tasted better than chicken but no one complained. I quickly added half a cup of milk and whisked it in, then added more and put the pot back on medium heat.  Cheese sauce has to be whisked to keep it from burning on the bottom. (or heat it slower at lower temperature) If it thickens too much add a little more milk. Add one cup grated cheddar. Armstrong Extra Old is a nice one. It pays to buy quality cheese for sauce because the whole meal hangs on the flavour of the sauce. Kraft isn't good enough. Once the sauce is ready add the onions to it, mix and cover the bottom of the square pan with sauce. Add half the potatoes spread out and half remaining sauce. Add remaining potatoes and sauce. Put in 350ºF oven for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave as long as possible to cook the potatoes.

The broccoli was steamed then run under cold water to stop cooking and reheated in olive oil. The cod was salted and dusted with onion powder and a little cumin. I got plenty of oil hot in a large pan and added Fern's big fat piece first. I only waited about half a minute before adding my smaller piece. I should have waited a full minute as it turns out. Fern's piece was a little under done in the centre and he wasn't convinced I had created a new dish of sushi stuffed fried cod.

Otherwise it was a wonderful meal. I have failed to make good scalloped potatoes on several occasions so it was reassuring to turn out good potatoes au gratin.