Blackened Cod Sandwich with Avocado Aioli

Cod is a wonderful mild fish with very low fat content with dense, flaky meat. Since it does not have a particular flavor like salmon, I used my "house dry rub" and blackened it on cast iron griddle to add flavor.

For some odd reason, I ordered a bag of avocados last week and I had to use them today before they went yucky. So instead of making Basil Aioli as I had planned, I made Avocado Aioli instead.

The combined flavor of blackened herbs and spices and creamy, nutty taste of avocado with a hint of fresh basil in aioli was excellent. My only regret was not adding some wasabi to add a little kick. But I was running out of time. It was 12:20 pm already and the hungry lunch crowd would descend to kitchen in 10 minutes. I will definitely try adding wasabi next time!

I just love this cast iron black top. It is so useful from sauteing veggies to blackening all sorts of meats.

For Cod:

3-4 tablespoon All Purpose Dry Rub
4 pieces of cod, thawed completely if previously frozen, pat dried with paper towel
2 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Sprinkle fish fillets on both sides with seasoning mixture
Heat a large cast iron skillet until smoking, add oil
Place fish on skillet, and sear about 2-3 minutes per side, turning once

Serve on a bed of garden salad or on a Hoagie bun with your favorite toppings.

For Avocado Aioli
3 Hass avocados, ripe
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Mayo (Hellmann's)
3 tablespoons chopped basil
1 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 small shallot, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Optional: Wasabi paste to taste

In a food processor, pulse the avocados and rest of the ingredients together until blended and smooth. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Add more lemon juice if too thick.