Butter-Braised Spring Onions with Flaky Cod
As the second recipe of my #CookLocal collaboration with Good Find Farm, I wanted to give folks a new way to cook up some of my favorite seasonal veggies — spring onions. They’re sweeter and more tender than regular onions, and more plump than scallions, but many people don’t know what to do with them. My opinion: braise them in a buttery sauce until they’re just-softened and absolutely delectable.
I took a nod here from the late Edna Lewis. In her absolutely life-changing cookbook Taste of Country Cooking, she recounts a recipe from her childhood: Skillet Scallions. Scallions were braised in a butter sauce, which enhanced their natural flavors without overpowering it. I aimed to do the same thing here with spring onions, but added flaky cod to the mix for an easy meal that’s done in less than 30 minutes.
A quick note: you could easily turn this into a delicious veggie side dish, sans the cod. Follow my notes in the recipe below, and let’s make the most of spring onion season while it’s here!
Butter-Braised Spring Onions with Flaky Cod
Ingredients:
- Small handful of raw hazelnuts, unsalted (a little less than a 1/4 c.)
- Zest of one lemon
- 2 skinless fillets of cod, about 8 oz. per person (1 lb. total)
- One bunch of spring onions, root end removed (or scallions, if spring onions are unavailable — see notes below!)
- 2 Tbsp cold butter
- 1/4 c. water
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Coarsely chop hazelnuts, and add into the hot pan — no oil is necessary. Make sure to toss them every 30 seconds or so to keep them browning evenly. When the nuts start to smell toasty and turn golden-brown, approximately 3-4 minutes, remove to a small bowl and mix with lemon zest.
- Wash and pat dry the spring onions. Slice each onion in half the long way, so the bulbs of each onion can lay flat in the pan. Thinly slice the top half of one one onion stem and mix with the hazelnut & lemon zest mixture. Reserve the mixture for garnishing.
- Pat each piece of fish dry, and sprinkle each side with salt & pepper. In the hot skillet, drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil. When hot, place each fillet in the pan. Sear until just golden-brown, 1-2 minutes, flip, and repeat on the second side. Remove to a plate. The flesh won't be fully cooked yet, and that's ok!
- Wipe out pan and drizzle another tablespoon of oil inside. When hot, add the sliced spring onions, cut side down. Let them sear, untouched, for 2-3 minutes or until the cut side is golden-brown.
- Add cold butter and water to the pan, and sprinkle the onions with salt. Carefully place the fish on top of the onions — the onions act as a little "steamer basket." Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and turn the heat down to medium-low. Steam the onions and cod for 4-5 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and cooked-through.
- To serve, place a layer of onions on each plate, then top with one piece of cod. Spoon over any remaining pan sauce, and spprinkle generously with the hazelnut, lemon zest & thinly sliced onion mixture.