This dish is the creation of Greek chef Sotiris Evangelou. Chef Sotiris is currently in charge of the kitchens of the swank King George hotel in Athens. He was inspired by the cuisine of Thessaloniki, with its diverse, vibrant culinary scene. Thessaloniki has seen many different peoples enter it’s old city walls through time and its cuisine today still bears hints of the various influences.

Like Chef Sotiris, I too get inspired by the visiting the farmer’s markets that are dotted throughout many of the city’s neighborhoods. Every day, farmers bring in their seasonal and fresh produce. Boats from the little fishing villages that surround Thessaloniki bring in the “catch of the day” to be sold at the “Laiki” agora (market).

When my vacation in Greece was coming to and end last September, I was staying at my friend Yianni’s place in the Kifissia neighborhood of Thessaloniki. The farmer’s market arrives at the top of Kifissia Street every Friday. The bounty, the quality of produce and seafood was among the best I had ever seen.

Mussels, fresh from nearby Epanomi, swordfish just in season and monkfish tails appeared. Chef Sotiris recommends using monkfish for this dish but like me, he believes the best fish is the freshest fish. I opted for a thick fillet of cod fish for this elegant yet easy dish to prepare.

You need your fish fillet, some hand-picked fresh (live) mussels that are scrubbed and beards removed. A small prep of your vegetables, steaming the mussels and finally finishing everything in the skillet.

This dish hinges on fresh herbs, live mussels and their delicious broth, some good dry Greek wine and “mise en place”. With a little attention to detail, your meal can have that elegant look without neglecting the humble origins of the ingredients. For this dish, I’m using a Gerovassiliou Malagousia white wine for cooking and for pairing with the dish.

The Malagousia grape varietal originates from the Nafpaktos area of Greece and Gerovassaliou was the first to start experimenting with this near-extinct grape varietal. I had the pleasure of visiting this winery last year but that visit deserves it’s own post.

Cod in a Mussel Broth

(recipe adapted from Chef Sotirios Evangelou)

(serves 4)

4 cod fillets

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 red chilli, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 level Tbsp. of flour

1 lb. of fresh mussels, scrubbed and beards removed

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup of bread crumbs

1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 cup of fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup fresh  dill, chopped (1 Tbsp. reserved for sauce)

1 tsp. dried Greek oregano

2 zucchini, sliced into thin ribbons

1 Tbsp. of Dijon mustard

juice of 1/2 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse and scrub the mussels. Tap any mussels that are opened. If they do not close, discard. Pull the beards from the mussels and rinse. Set aside or place in your fridge ( for up to a day) until you’re ready to cook them. Have your “mise en place” set (prep vegetables and herbs and remaining ingredients).
2. Rinse and pat-dry your cod fillets. Season your fillets and mix the breadcrumbs, 1 clove of minced garlic, the chopped parsley and dill. Divide and top each fillet with the breadcrumb and herb mixture. Set aside. In a medium-sized pot, bring a couple of cups of water to a boil and add some salt. Blanche the zucchini for about a minute and then shock in cold water. Drain and pat-dry the zucchini and reserve.
3. In a large skillet (large enough to contain your four fish fillets), add a couple of turns of oil over high heat. Add your mussels and white wine and cover. Steam the mussels over high heat for about 5 minutes or until the shells just open. Empty the contents over a strainer with a bowl underneath to capture the delicious broth (reserve and keep warm). Remove the mussel meat from half of the shells and leave the other half in tact. Reserve.
4. In the same skillet, add your remaining olive in your skillet along with the the onions, garlic, chilli pepper and sweat them for about 5 minutes over medium heat. As soon as the onions are translucent, add the flour and stir in for a minute. Now add the mustard and stir in. Add the warm mussel broth while stirring so that no lumps develop. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
5. Gently add your fish fillets with the bread/herb topping and sliced red bell peppers into the skillet. Reduce to to a simmer and cover. Cook your fish for about 12 minutes. Turn the heat off and add your mussels back into the skillet to warm through. Add your reserved Tbsp. of fresh dill, dried Greek oregano and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper (if needed at all). Squeeze your lemon juice and set aside.
6. Arrange the ribbons of zucchini on the bottom of each plate. Place some mussels and broth onto each plate and then plate the cod fillet on top.
7. Serve with a Gerovassiliou Malagousia white and lots of crusty homemade bread.

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