Push the button, Max, and save some calories: broiling fish

There is a button on your oven which Annalena believes you probably have not pushed, or perhaps have pushed very little. She does NOT refer to the self cleaning button, although..... No, ragazzi, she means the button that turns on the broiler function of your oven.

Way, WAY back, just after the discovery of fire, when Annalena was un piccolo ragazzo, her grandmother used to curse a blue streak, in dialect, whenever she had to use the broiler. Nana's oven had a "bottom broiler," and the oven was low, to begin with. This mean, of course, that Nana, who was nearly as round as she was tall (4'10'' in her heels), had to perform some rather serious gymnastics to get food in and out. It resulted in us eating a lot of "griddled," rather than "grilled" cheese (which was the way she would make it when she wanted to guilt us up).

Well, times change. Annalena has observed that, for most of us, the broiler function of our ovens is at the top now, rather than the bottom, and since most of us have ovens that are at eye level now, this is much more convenient.

And Annalena is also quite convinced that most of us do not use the broiler option more than once in a while. Why is that, ragazzi? Is it fear? Well, if your oven is in fact not all that immaculate, and there is a great deal of accumulated fat, perhaps you should indeed press that self clean button and eliminate it, because, speaking of eliminating excess fat, broiling, as we shall see in this recipe, is an extremely easy way to eliminate a goodly portion of fat in what you are cooking: IF you know how to do it correctly. Today, we shall investigate a recipe involving little fat. Tomorrow, another one where, well, 'tis not so much. It is all about balance.

One of the major reasons that we use fat in our cooking is that it is a carrier: fats dissolve flavors, much more efficently than any class of molecule. If you were to eat, for example, a tablespoon of pure protein, with no flavoring agents added, you would taste... nothing. Not so with fats. One may not LIKE the flavor, but pure fats do have flavors: olive oil, butter, lard, vegetable oil, coconut oil, etc. And, many of the molecules we associate with flavor (most of which fall into a general family called "esters." See what you learn here?) are in fact fat soluble. Not all are, but most are. So, when you add fat to a dish, you are adding a way to accentuate its flavor. Similarly, by adding fat, you allow a dish to carmelize more easily. In a series of chemical reactions called "The Maillard reaction" (you're learning even more, SEE?), the surface of foods carmelizes, and those carmelized ends add more flavor. Who amongst us does not favor the carmelized bits of macaroni and cheese, for example, or the "burnt bits" of barbecue fame. So, essentially, if you want flavorful food, you will have to use fat.

BUT... this does NOT mean you have to use as much as a recipe calls for. Especially when you are broiling. Annalena recently made this recipe, and when she saw the amount of fat called for, was astounded. She cut it in half, and could have cut it further. Let us make it together.

The recipe is simplicity personified. You will need a one pound piece of codfish. You can substitute another, thick piece of whitefish, but in using cod, Annalena learned something herself, that she will pass on to you. Codfish is a good fish to use for those of you who are never sure if your fish is cooked, because when codfish is cooked, the surface cracks, in a V shaped pattern.

Annalena did not know this. So, start with codfish. Most of you will like this as codfish has almost an innocuous flavor, it is available constantly and locally, and is not wildly expensive. It is also on the lower calorie side of fish .

You will also need, as an OPTION, but let's make it this way, shall we, a half cup of bread crumbs. If you are thrifty and have made your own, please use them. If you are not and have not, then use what you have. Annalena's original recipe called for unflavored bread crumbs, but in a nod to her Nana, Annalena uses "italian style" bread crumbs. Do not ask why. She then augments this with chopped, fresh herbs. In addition to salt and pepepr, you will need two tablespoons of olive oil. Please note that the recipe originally called for four, and as you will see, you may cut these two tablespoons down, even further.

First things, first. Turn on your oven, and turn on the broiler. But before you do that, move a rack in the oven, so that it is 4-6 inches from the heating element. Now turn on the broiler, and let it get cracking for about 5 minutes. Get a metal baking sheet, and rub the surface of it, with some of that oil. Then, put the fish in the middle, sprinkle some salt, and pepper on it, and then rub it all over with the oil.

Annalena SWEARS that the original recipe called for two whole tablespoons to do this. It actually took her, probably on the order of a half tablespoons, at best, to produce a piece of fish that was completely covered with oil. Put this aside for a minute, and wash your hands. Dump those breadcrumbs into a small skillet, and, over low/medium heat, toast them. When they begin to darken, dump them into a bowl, off of the heat. If you wait until they all brown, you will burn them, as they will continue to cook well after they are off the heat.

Now, here's another place where you could cut back the oil. Annalena did not. She should have. First, put that fish in the oven, under the broiler, and let it cook for 5-6 minutes. You will hear sizzling and snapping. This is good. While this is happening, IF YOU LIKE, you should pour some olive oil, into the toasted crumbs. You do NOT need to do this. In fact, you do not need to use the bread crumbs at all, and you will still have a delicious piece of fish. But try this, ok? If you do not want to use all of them, don't. If you would like to dice a clove of garlic into the breadcrumbs, do so (Annalena lobbies against garlic here, because the fish is delicate). If you decide to use, them, after 6 minutes of cooking, protect your hands, take out the tray, and sprinkle the crumbs over the fish. Put it back in the oven and broil for three minutes, no longer.

And you are done. Annalena guarantees you, you will be feeling after this recipe that simpler is better with fish. And, at most, you will have added two tablespoons of oil, and probably less, to a recipe that is, at its essence, not all that caloric. Continue with other, low calorie items on your plate, or splurge. The option is yours, but know now, that you have a tasty item in your repertoire that can easily be done whenever you like.