Apple & Bacon Stuffed Cod

Recipe by Taylor McMeekin 

Filled with smoky bacon and sweet McIntosh apples, our Kale-wrapped Stuffed Cod makes the perfect centerpiece to a family-style meal over the holiday season. This simple, but flavour-packed dish will have your nearest and dearest in awe of your culinary skills. 

Ingredients 

1 fillet Fogo Island Cod, bones and skin removed 

4 McIntosh apples (or any apple of your choice) 

3 medium onions, sliced 

2 bundles dinosaur kale 

250g bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces 

2 tbsp. butter, room temperature 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Method 

For the filling:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Cut kale about 1” above where the leaves meet the stem and clean. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and submerge kale into the boiling water for 30-45 seconds, or until the colour deepens. Be sure to not overcook. Remove and let dry on a cloth-lined plate.
3. Place apples on a parchment-lined sheet tray. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes at 425°F, or until the skin breaks and blackens slightly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
4. While the apples are baking, cook bacon in a pan at medium heat. Let bacon become crispy before removing. Using the bacon fat, reduce the heat to low and add onions. Season with a pinch of salt to draw out sugars and moisture. Using a wooden spoon, scrape any remaining bacon bits from the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat to medium and cook onions until they become a deep caramel colour.
5. Once the apples have cooled, remove the skin from apples. Separate the meat of the apple from the core and place in a bowl. Combine with the cooked onions and bacon. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the cod: 

1. Slice the cod fillet in half, lengthwise. 
2. Cut a piece of parchment paper, about 5” longer than your cod fillet, and butter it. Place the kale leaves next to each other on the paper, ensuring the stems face the same direction and each leaf overlaps the one next to it by ½” to 1”. 
3. Place one half of the cod at the top of the kale leaves (if there is a difference in the size of your fillet, place the larger one down first). Spoon your apple, bacon, and onion filling over the entire piece of cod. Place the second half of the fillet on top of the filling. 
4. Using the parchment paper, begin to roll the cod. Ensure as you roll that the kale stems are tucked under each other, and your parchment paper is not caught underneath. Continue to fold the parchment over, tightening with each roll, to form a cylinder.  
5. Place your cod roll (still in the parchment paper) in the oven for 8-12 minutes at 425°F. Remove and allow to rest for 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, remove the parchment paper, and slice with a serrated knife. Serve with your favourite sides and enjoy!