Seared Prosciutto-Wrapped Cod with Spinach Scampi

This recipe is a new favorite of mine.  Enjoy a nice seared prosciutto-wrapped cod, crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, with a zesty scampi-style spinach.  I so enjoy walking into the kitchen to start dinner and remembering that this is on the menu.  A recipe that has me dancing in the kitchen to my favorite tunes.  Try it! 

This is one tasty dinner surprise that you will enjoy!  From my kitchen to yours.

My favorite tips:

*The beauty of this dish is that you can use the extra scampi sauce on a side dish!  Soak it up with your bread, pour it over your mashed potatoes… or my personal favorite, spoon it onto your cauliflower rice!
*I prefer to use extra virgin olive oil, however you can use your favorite cooking oil.
*You can often find individual cod filets in your local grocery story or fish market.  They usually have pre-cut frozen or fresh portions. 
*I wrap each cod filet in two prosciutto pieces with the edges just slightly overlapping.  See image below!  This is simply because I cannot find large slices of prosciutto in my area.  If you have the larger ones, by all means use them!
*Red pepper flakes bring a bit of zing to the dish.  Add more or less depending on how much zing you want to bring!
*For the white wine, I always choose one that I would drink myself.  I have tried Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and most recently Sauvignon Blanc.  The Sauvignon Blanc has been my favorite so far.  If you do not want to cook with alcohol, you can also substitute white grape juice.  If you use white grape juice, you may want to add an extra tablespoon of lemon juice due to balance out the sweetness of the grape juice.  
*Eight cups may seem like a lot of spinach for two servings.  It does shrink down more than you would expect.

*I recommend using a pepper mill to crack black peppercorns over the cod just before wrapping with the prosciutto.  You can also use pre-cracked black pepper, but fresh-cracked has a stronger flavor.  I add a little extra because I love black pepper.  Use it just enough to meet your taste, or leave it off if you prefer.

Seared Prosciutto-Wrapped Cod with Spinach Scampi

Recipe by AmiessaCourse: Dinner, MainCuisine: SeafoodDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

The most delicious way to eat cod! Wrapped in prosciutto and served with a scampi-style spinach!

Ingredients

• 2 cod filets, approximately 4-5 ounces each

• 3 Tbsp butter, separated into 1 Tbsp and 2 Tbsp portions

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• Prosciutto – 4 thin sliced pieces

• Black pepper, fresh cracked, to taste

• 1 Tbsp shallot, diced

• 1 1/2 Tbsp garlic, fresh minced

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 cup dry white wine, like Sauvignon Blanc

• 1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed

• 8 cups fresh baby leaf spinach, tightly packed into the cups

• Garnish – optional chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

• Garnish – optional red pepper flakes

• Garnish – optional fresh lemon wedges

• Garnish – optional fresh lemon zest

Directions

• Let cod warm up to room temperature just before cooking.  Sprinkle your fresh cracked black pepper onto both sides of the cod.
• Lay two slightly overlapping pieces of prosciutto on a cutting board. Place cod about two inches from one end of the prosciutto and begin wrapping. 
• Add one Tbsp butter and oil to the skillet.  Heat pan on medium to medium-high heat (I use “6” on my electric stovetop) until mixture sizzles when a drop of water is added.  
• Add cod to the pan with the prosciutto seam-side down first.  Cook on each side for 5 minutes.  (Fish should be cooked until it is opaque and flakes easily with a fork – internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F.)  
• Remove from pan and place on a cooling rack to retain crisp of the prosciutto.
• Add shallot, garlic, and red pepper flakes to the same pan.  Stir continuously until fragrant and garlic just starts to brown.
• Add white wine and lemon juice.  Bring to a boil.   
• Add remaining 2 Tbsp butter.  Turn heat to medium and simmer for approximately 5 minutes.  Stir occasionally. 
• Add spinach and stir into the sauce.  Stir frequently and cook until spinach reaches your preferred doneness.  Tongs work well for stirring spinach and serving.
• Serve cod over spinach and garnish with lemon zest, lemon wedges, red pepper flakes, and/or parsley. 
• Enjoy every delicious bite!

Notes

• *I wrap each cod filet in two prosciutto pieces with the edges just slightly overlapping.  See image below!  This is simply because I cannot find large slices of prosciutto in my area.  If you have the larger ones, by all means use them!
• *Red pepper flakes bring a bit of zing to the dish.  Add more or less depending on how much zing you want to bring!
• *For the white wine, I always choose one that I would drink myself.  I have tried Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and most recently Sauvignon Blanc.  The Sauvignon Blanc has been my favorite so far.  If you do not want to cook with alcohol, you can also substitute white grape juice.  If you use white grape juice, you may want to add an extra tablespoon of lemon juice due to balance out the sweetness of the grape juice.  
• *Eight cups may seem like a lot of fresh spinach for two servings.  It does shrink down more than you would expect.