As families prepare for another socially distanced Easter and Passover meal, some may be looking for ways to make their holiday a bit more special this year.

Old York Cellars Chef Jose Diaz has prepared this easy, DIY recipe for cod for two that offers the perfect touch for an Easter or Passover meal to be remembered.

You’ll see that the recipe calls for Old York Cellars dry white wine and that’s available for purchase at the winery’s website. The recipe also features a Old York Cellars Malbec Marinara, a sauce hand-made by Dogwood Farms in Hillsborough NJ using Old York Cellars Malbec – yum!

Ingredients

• 1 russet potato – peeled
• 4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 celery stalk – chopped
• 1 carrot – chopped
• 1 leek – sliced
• 1 onion – chopped
• 1 tomato – chopped
• 2 garlic cloves – minced
• 1 red bell pepper – chopped
• 1 ½ tsp. each salt and freshly group black pepper, divided
• 1 Tbsp. paprika
• ½ cup Old York Cellars dry white wine
• ½ cup Old York Cellars Malbec Marinara
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
• 6-ounce filet with skin on

Directions:

1. In a pot of boiling water, cook the potato for 35-45 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the water and let stand 3 minutes then slice.
2. Set a medium-large pot over medium-high heat and once warmed, add one tablespoon of olive oil. After 30 seconds, add the celery, the carrots, the leeks, the onion, the tomato, the garlic and the red pepper. Stir for a minute then add two more tablespoons of olive oil over vegetables along with one teaspoon each of the salt/pepper, and the paprika. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the wine and marinara sauce. Decrease heat to low, cover the pot and allow the sauce to simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Once the saucy vegetables are cooked, purée the mixture until smooth using either an immersion blender or a food processor.
4. Put the pureed sauce through fine mesh strainer using a rubber spatula (optional if you want).
5. Return pureed and strained (if straining) vegetables to the pot and simmer over low heat while the fish is being sauteed.
6. Season the cod with the remaining salt and pepper.
7. Place frying pan on stove over high heat. Add remaining two tablespoons olive oil to the pan and warm up. Once oil begins to shimmer, add the cod, skin side down and cook for 5 minutes until cod begins to firm up and turns slightly white.
8. Remove cod from pan and place skin side up into the vegetable purée and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
9. To serve, spoon two tablespoons of vegetable purée onto a plate and swirl around the plate with the back of the spoon.
10. Add cooked potatoes over the vegetable purée then place the cod skin side down on potatoes and add more sauce to plate.
11. Garnish with fresh parsley and drizzle with olive oil.

Serves 2.

About Old York Cellars

Set amidst some of the oldest vineyards in the Garden State, Old York Cellars is a working farm that offers a full selection of award-winning wines and an extraordinary experience both inside and outside of the tasting room. The winery plays host to a variety of special events and exciting programs including seasonal Wine Festivals, Music Under the Stars, Comedy Nights, Specialty Tasting Experiences, and the exclusive Vintner’s Club.

Winery in Ringoes Open Daily 12 – 5 PM  (Starting April 3rd the winery will be open until 7 PM)

Old York Cellars Winery & Vineyards, 80 Old York Road, Ringoes, New Jersey 08551, Phone:  908-284-9463

Old York Cellars Tasting Room & Restaurant, Quaker Bridge Mall, Route 1, Lawrenceville, NJ, Phone:  609-799-2707

Old York Cellars Wine Shop, Bridgewater Commons Mall, 400 Commons Way, Bridgewater, NJ, Phone:  908-722-2222