How to ‘Not Plan’ Your Way into a Perfect Gathering
On Spontaneity + Roasted Black Cod with Olive Relish
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In our family we make an evening ritual of sharing our highs and lows from the day. This past Wednesday my high was very clear. After a pleasantly exhausting yoga class, I picked up an extra matcha latte for my friend, the owner of Good Yoga in Encinitas. As the owner of a new small business, my friend has been very busy. Yet in that moment, the sun shining on the bench in front of her welcoming studio, we found some quiet space to sit and sip our teas, catching up on things big and small, until our various obligations pulled us back to regular life. It was a moment no amount of advanced planning could have orchestrated.
As it happens, it was a week of spontaneous moments, and feasting, with friends.
The day before Easter, our town’s egg hunt got rained out. Though Solana Beach admirably moved the crafts and Easter Bunny into the small community center, the egg hunt was reduced to a friendly volunteer dumping eggs into kids’ baskets. Our little people were not satisfied.
Coming to the rescue, one couple volunteered their house, sacrificing a bounty of stuffed plastic eggs for an impromptu egg hunt for five little ones on a sugar high. Another couple brought over bottles of chilled Gruet Blanc de Noir. Just back from our Italy trip, our refrigerator was not well stocked, but I managed a platter of mixed raw veggies, half a container of hummus and a wedge of 24-month Comté. We ordered pizza and salad. The kids played, the adults drank bubbles, and we happily wiled away an afternoon in a manner far more entertaining than any of us could have planned.
Our book club gathering this month followed the theme. With kids on Spring Break and adults working, managing childcare was an issue. One friend suggested her house as venue, so she wouldn’t need a sitter, but she would be coming from work so cooking would be difficult. I put up my hand make the mains, another friend, the salad. A third friend brought wine. A fourth brought Champagne. Our host said she’d take desserts. This was planned, more or less, the day before.
To that end, I settled on a fish dish – local wild black cod - cooked in the oven, served with an olive relish made in advance at home. A baked tomato rice I stumbled across in the new cookbook Portico, was like a risotto without the manual labor. Once everything was in the oven, we were free to do what we came to do: enjoy each other’s company.
When it was time for dessert, our host spoke up. “You know when you write a text, committing to something, then you promptly forget it? Yeah, that was me with the desserts tonight.” She put up her hand and pushed back her chair, instructing us to wait. Minutes later she reemerged with a beautiful board laden with broken pieces of dark chocolate, a stack of her favorite childhood biscuits fanned out like cards, and two flavors of Girl Scout cookies. It was dessert spread that no amount of planning could have orchestrated. The perfect bookend to a week of spontaneity.
For those curious what our book club is reading, this month we discussed Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. Up next, Hangman by Maya Binyam.
Recipe
Roasted Black Cod with Olive Relish
This recipe feeds 6 – 8 people. To make this with individually portioned filets, or for fewer people, you can halve the relish, or save extras for a sandwich topping. See below for adjustment on cooking times with individual filets.
Olive Relish
2 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 celery ribs (3/4 cup celery, sliced in half lengthwise, then crosswise into ½ inch)
½ cup finely chopped sweet onion
¼ cup pine nuts
1 T. capers
1 cup kalamata olives, pitted
1 lemon (zest + 2 T. juice)
3 T. chopped flat leaf parsley
Black pepper
Fish
1 whole filet of black cod (sablefish), about 2 – 2.5 lb.
Salt
Pepper
2 T. olive oil
1 T. Calabrian chili in oil or ½ tsp. red chili flakes
1 lemon, thinly sliced
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium sauté pan. Add garlic, celery and onion to the pan. Sauté for 5 minutes until crisp tender, stirring occasionally. Add pine nuts. Sauté for another 3-4 minutes until pine nuts are lightly toasted. Turn off heat and allow to cool slightly.
While celery mixture is sauteing, soak capers in a small bowl of water for at least ten minutes. Drain, then roughly chop. Drain olives and roughly chop. Add capers and olives to a medium bowl along with celery mixture, zest of one lemon, 2 T. lemon juice and parsley. Taste and add black pepper to preferred seasoning. (Note: there is no added salt to the relish. The capers and olives provide enough saltiness on their own.)
The relish can be prepared well in advance, minus the parsley. If making in advance, refrigerate until 30 minutes before serving, then stir in the parsley.
To make the fish, preheat oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. Pat fish dry with paper towels then place on parchment. Season with salt and pepper. Rub fish all over with 2 T. olive oil and Calabrian chili. Top with thinly sliced lemon. Roast in oven for 30 – 40 minutes depending on thickness. Fish will easily flake when tested with a fork.
To serve, top with olive relish and divide into filets.
Fish for one (or less than a crowd)
To make this for fewer people, as few as one, I tested this with a single portioned (5 oz.) filet of Alaskan cod. For each 4 – 6 oz. portion, season with salt and pepper then rub with 1 tsp. olive oil and ½ tsp. Calabrian chili. Roast for 10 – 12 minutes for a 1-inch-thick filet. As with the whole filet, test for doneness with a fork. It will be read with the fish easily flakes.
Next week: Spring Wine Guide. What to drink with peas, artichokes, asparagus and all your spring favorites.
Hi Amy, yet again another wonderful recipe with a great story to match. I may not always comment but i have loved all of your postings