When the question arises "what's for dinner?" the home educator must remain the home educator and home maker. Charlotte Mason has said "education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life." There is more caught than taught and while children are attending to their work, Mom is preparing dinner. The aromas and sounds of meal preparation is heard. Curiosity beckons family to the kitchen asking again "what's for dinner?" I answer "cod with tomato". Anticipation has been sent along with the pungent perfume filling every nook in the home. The table is laid by hungry children and when dinner is served and prayers spoken, conversation ensues around the warmth of the meal. My sister recommended this recipe to me and since preparing it, I have become a subscriber of Cooking with the New York Times. This recipe is called Tomato-Poached Fish with Chile Oil and Herbs, created by Alison Roman. Discovering and preparing meals and trying out new recipes is Mother Culture, a term by Charlotte Mason. Mother Culture is Mom continuing her own education as a lifestyle and building her knowledge on nature, music, handicraft, etc.
If you would like the recipe, please let me know in the comment section and I will post it for you.
What a wonderful post, Jan, and feel free to pass the recipe along. Not only is the picture tantalizing, the post itself brings up so many other tangential but no less significant topics. For instance, your point about Mother Culture is an interesting concept. Apparently, what it means is that cooking recipes such as the one you highlight enhances your culture as a mother, as well as some of the other pursuits you mention. However, it could also be meant in another way too. For instance, when children see their mother actively dedicating herself to such cultural pursuits, she serves as an example, allowing her children to emulate her behaviors themselves. In this case, the idea of Mother Culture could be considered twofold, both enhancing the mother's culture herself, but also those of her children as well.
ReplyDeleteHere you go. :D
Delete¼ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 small shallot, thinly sliced into rings
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 pound small, sweet tomatoes, halved
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
1 ¼ pounds fluke, halibut or cod, cut into 4 equal pieces
1 cup cilantro, leaves and tender stems
½ cup mint, leaves and tender stems
Limes, halved, for serving
Tortillas, toast or rice, for serving (optional)
Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet (use one with a lid) over medium-high. Add garlic and shallots and cook, swirling the skillet constantly until they start to toast and turn light golden brown, 2 minutes or so. Add red-pepper flakes and swirl to toast for a few seconds. Remove from heat and transfer all but 1 tablespoon of the chile oil to a small bowl.
Add tomatoes to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until they burst and start to become saucy and jammy, 5 to 8 minutes. Add fish sauce, if using, and 1 1/2 cups water, swirling to release any of the bits stuck on the bottom of the skillet.
Cook until the sauce is slightly thickened but still nice and brothy, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Season the fish with salt and pepper and gently lay the pieces in the brothy tomatoes. Cover the skillet and cook until the fish is opaque and just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes (slightly longer for a thicker piece of fish, like halibut).
To serve, transfer fish and brothy tomatoes to a large shallow bowl or divide among four bowls. Drizzle with reserved chile oil, more olive oil and the crispy shallots and garlic. Top with cilantro and mint, and serve with limes for squeezing over the top. Serve with tortillas, toast or rice, if you like.