Pan-Poached Cod with Chesapeake Seasoning

Tonight was a rushed dinner, but we still pulled it off. We had bought some cod a while back and stored it in the freezer. Sometimes, the cod that has been refrigerated and then frozen loses a lot of its moisture and you end up with a dry, rubbery piece of fish. Tonight, we gave it another shot.

Pan-Poached Cod with Chesapeake Seasoning
1 Filet of Cod (no skin)
Butter or margarine (enough to coat a frying pan)
Chesapeake Bay Seasoning (Penzey's)

First, rinse the cod filet with cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel. Coat a frying pan with melted butter (we used Promise). Turn the burner to low heat and dip each side of the cod into the melted butter mixture. Sprinkle the cod filet with the Chesapeake seasoning and cover the pan, maintaining moderate heat. Flip the filet after 5 minutes. You'll notice a lot of moisture in the pan, this is a good sign. Season the other side and cook another 5 minutes covered. Now, the next step is a place where things could take a turn. I decided to flip the filet and remove some of the excess fluid to add a bit of crisp to the filet. However, removing the fluid can cause the fish to dry out so you must work quickly. As such, be sure you have turned your burner to high heat and only keep the filet in for 1-2 minutes. Serve.

Overall, I really love the Chesapeake seasoning on cod. It's got a nice warm, comforting flavor that reminds me of fish fry's growing up in Wisconsin. The quality of the cod really makes a difference. If the cod smells really fishy, do not use it. Any fish should not have a "fishy" smell to it when it is cold. This is a sign that the fish has gone "past its prime". This is a nice, fast dish to prepare on nights when time is tight.