Cod, Chorizo And Charred Beans

By: Tatiana Morales

When Chef Aaron Bashy opened his Brooklyn seafood restaurant, The Minnow, four years ago, he fulfilled a life-long dream of owning a place where his New England roots and French training could exist side by side.

Now, Chef Bashy has opened a casual annex next door to his popular restaurant, called Bar Minnow. And Saturday morning, he plans to have fun preparing a casual summer meal with the Chef on a Shoestring budget of $40.

His menu includes: Charred Green Bean and Sweet Onion Salad, Foil Pillows of Chorizo, Cod and Mussels, and Caramelized Summer Fruit Smoothies.

Food Facts
Pearl Onions: In addition to being much smaller than regular onions, pearl onions have a much milder flavor. They are often creamed and served as a side dish or pickled.

Cod/Scrod: This fish's mild-flavored flesh is white, lean and firm. This texture means you can prepare it almost anyway you like. You can also buy scrod for Aaron's dish. Scrod is simply young cod that weighs under 2 1/2 pounds.

Chorizo: Highly seasoned pork sausage that's widely used in both Spanish and Mexican cooking. Mexican chorizo uses fresh pork while Spanish chorizo uses dried.

Mussels: The meat from this shellfish is tougher than that of oysters or clams, with a slightly sweet flavor. Fresh mussels are generally available year-round.

Rhubarb: This is an extremely tart food; its thick, celery-like stalks are the only edible portions of the plant, and they can reach up to two feet long. It's at its peak from April to June. Because it's so tart, rhubarb is usually prepared with a lot of sugar.

The following are Chef Bashy's recipes: