From time to time, I go to a Japanese shop in the area around the rue Sainte Anne in Paris, where there are many Japanese restaurants and travel agents. I stock up on some instant soups, seaweed, sesame, yuzu and dashi – a yellow soy paste.
On the outdoor market in our village, the fishmonger had cockles, live prawns and cheek of cod. I combined this into a very nice and healthy soup. Freshly cooked prawns have a much better taste than pre-cooked prawns.
The other day the fishmonger’s had cod on sale, nice white chunks of cod loin fillet which are called “dos de cabillaud” here (cod’s back). The greengrocer’s was still in winter mode and had nice cabbages of which a took a green one. But because both the cod and cabbage can be bland in taste, I also bought a chunk of chorizo sausage.
Cod used to be a staple in Europe, fresh, salted or cured. There was an abundant stock in the ocean and the large fish was very handy to detail in smaller portions. From baccalau to fish fingers, from stokvis to fish and chips, cod ruled the waves. Alas, the stocks are dwindling and Greenpeace has … Read more