Butter Roasted Cod with Lemon Relish

I adapted this dish from an old Everyday Food magazine I found while cleaning my house.  The cover photo featured this unusual lemon relish, and I had to try it.  The relish is sweet, sour, and nutty.  A perfect pairing with my lemon-butter roasted cod.

• 1/4 C. pine nuts
• 1/4 golden raisins
• slivered zest and juice of 1 1/2 lemons, divided
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 C. chopped, fresh parsley
• 3 T. olive oil
• 2 T. butter, softened
• 4 skinless cod fillets about 6 oz. each

Toast the pine nuts in a dry, hot pan until golden brown, about two-three minutes, then set aside.  Next make the lemon relish.  Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the lemon, then use a sharp knife to slice the zest into thin strips.

Place the lemon strips and the golden raisins into a bowl and cover with boiling water.  Let stand about 10 minutes.  Drain the liquid from the lemon zest and discard it.  Combine the lemon zest and raisins with the pine nuts, parsley, olive oil, juice from 1 lemon, and salt and pepper to taste.  Set the relish aside, this can be made up to two hours ahead- do not refrigerate.

Heat the oven to 450 degrees.  Combine the softened butter with the juice of 1/2 a lemon and about 1 t. of lemon zest, finely grated.  Mix until the butter is smooth and spreadable.  Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and place the cod fillets on it.  If some of your fillets have a thin end and a fat end, tuck the thin end underneath to make the fillet as evenly thick as possible.

Spread the lemon butter onto the top of each fillet and sprinkle with salt.  Roast for about 10-12 minutes.  Place each fillet on a plate and top with a generous spoonful of lemon relish.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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