Spirit of Newfoundland has been bringing joy and laughter through its musical productions for well over a decade. One of its drivers and stars is Peter Halley, who joined Steve and me when we made this recipe. Peter told us how a typical production evolves and what it takes to mount a show like Grinch, Dressing and Gravy. He also told us about his New found land pony and his love for the breed. Speaking of things unique to this place, how about fish stuffed with bread crumbs and Newfoundland savoury?
Ingredients
Dressing
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) butter
- 1 yellow onion, minced
- 1 celery rib, diced
- 2 tsp (10 ml) Newfoundland savoury salt and pepper
- 1½ cup (375 ml) bread crumbs
Cod
- 8 oz (240 ml) pork scrunchions (small dice of pork fat, fried crisp)
- 1 Spanish onion, sliced and cooked with scrunchions
- 3 lb (1.5 kg) cod fillets
Butter Sauce
- 5 tbsp (75 ml) butter
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) flour
- ½ tsp (2 ml) salt
- ½ tsp (2 ml) pepper
- 1½ cup (375 ml) boiling water
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
How to Make It
- Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Melt butter in frying pan on medium. Cook yellow onion and celery until softened. Stir in savoury, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in bread crumbs.
- Arrange half the Spanish onion and scrunchion mixture evenly on base of greased baking dish. Place half the fillets on onion mixture. Top with layer of bread crumb dressing. Place remaining fillets on dressing. Spread remaining Spanish onion and scrunchions evenly over fillets. Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes or until fish flakes.
- For sauce, melt 3 tbsp (45 ml) butter in saucepan on medium. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Gradually add boiling water and onion. Add 2 tbsp (30 ml) butter and cook until thick. Serve over hot fish.
