Fish Fridays of Lent

During the season of Lent, Catholics are asked to participate in the threefold discipline of fasting, almsgiving and prayer to commemorate Christ’s ultimate sacrifice. According to Canonical requirements, all Catholics 14-years-old and older must abstain from meat (mammal or fowl) on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during Lent.

We get in the habit of having fish on Fridays and often continue to have seafood on Fridays long after the Lent period has ended. One of our family favorites is Dom’s mustard-coated fish fillets:

¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together and coat fillets liberally to cover. Let sit until your pan is ready. This can even be used as a marinade. Preheat a cast iron pan to get the surface very hot. Place filets skin side down (even if skin has been removed.)

Once a visible line of cooked flesh has risen to ¼” (translucent to opaque) and fat has rendered, carefully turn; about 3-4 minutes. The sugar should have caused a firm crust by this time. Cook the remaining side for another 2-3 minutes. Don’t try to make a pan sauce from the pan drippings as the flavor will be strong and greasy.

Serve with a fresh Caesar Salad or saffron rice is a great compliment to this dish along with a salsa made of fresh mango, red onion, lime juice and basil or cilantro.

While we prefer this marinade for salmon, this mustard dressing works perfectly on other types of fleshy fish like cod, halibut, swordfish or snapper.