Sicilian Cod with Grilled Corn and Potato Chowder and Tomato Parmesan Focaccia with Caramelized Onions

This was a full-throttle meal, no more quick preparations this time. Featuring a delicious Sicilian Cod, complete with one of the oddest mixture toppings I've made for fish, some fresh bread with cheese and tomatoes, and delicious corn and potato chowder, this meal certainly requires some time and planning. And it's worth it.

The fish is light and sweet, fitting in some health with a generous serving of onions. And Cod is a different addition to my normal fish routine. The focaccia is very unique, think almost a cousin of bruschetta but in a full focaccia mold. And the corn and potato chowder masquerades as a vegetable and a starch all at once while providing a lightness not usually known in chowders and a warmth on a cool autumn evening.

Tomato and Parmesan Focaccia with Caramelized Onions
That's right - this focaccia is some odd combination of bread, pizza, and bruschetta but it turns out wonderfully and can be half the meal in and of itself. This comes straight from Cooking Light and I followed the recipe essentially to the T. As a big fan of basil I chose to put the fresh basil on before baking so that it was baked into the bread a bit more but I doubt this truly makes much of a difference either way - and other than that I was very good at instruction following for once.

Just make sure you time the meal correctly. I am placing the bread recipe first here so that you attack it before the other two. This recipe involves two periods of rising - the first for 1 hr 30 minutes and the second for 30 minutes. Prepare the filling while the first rising is happening. It won't take long, but that way you are ahead of schedule and not rushing at the end. Then enjoy some downtime as the dough is rising until you get to the soup!

Grilled Corn and Potato Chowder
You'll want to turn your attention to this recipe once the bread is in its second rising stage - the one that takes 30 minutes. You'll have time to grill the corn and boil the potatoes before then so that as the bread is ready to be dressed and put in the oven, the soup is already starting to simmer on the stove... which takes about the same time as baking the bread.

Not the season for corn on the cob? You can easily substitute unflavored corn from a can or frozen corn kernels. Simply put the kernels directly on the grill if using a Foreman one, or on top of foil if using a normal outdoor one. This may not turn the kernels black but it will still do the trick.

I also substituted 1% milk here for the 2% called for in the recipe. While normally someone who only uses skim milk for all things, the thicker the milk you use here the creamier your soup will end up. I, however, could not bring myself to using the fat featured in 2% milk. Since I didn't want my soup to be too watery, however, I decided to split the difference and go with the 1%. I'll leave the final decision for which one you want to use up to you!

Want to make this soup as your entree? Saute some shrimp and throw them in as well for a delicious seafood twist on this vegetarian soup. The shrimp will fill you up and make a great lunch or light dinner.

Sicilian Cod
And now we finally return to that picture at the beginning. I have to admit, when I first read this recipe I found it more than slightly strange. Brown sugar and raisins with onion? Well, I'm glad I trusted in it! This recipe comes out exceedingly well. Unfortunately for me, I was cooking for someone who is not a fan of red pepper so I left it out. I didn't miss it, but I'm sure it would only add to the recipe to have it included.

You can whip this recipe together as the soup simmers and the bread bakes. Toss the fish in a glass dish, follow the instructions, and pop it into the oven with perfect timing so that all 3 will finish at once. At the same time, get your fish topping saute-ing on the stove. You'll want those onions soft and flavored to make this dish as delicious as it can be.

Once the fish was done baking I poured the onion mixture over the top (see the picture at the top) rather than leaving it for the diners to combine themselves. In my experience, if you want something tried you toss it on and leave no choice...! And let me say, no one at the table regretted this. The sweet and savory tastes blended together in the topping perfectly and deliciously highlighted the cod. This is certainly one to make again.