Austrian Pan-Seared Alpine Cod with Caraway Root Vegetables

Preheat the oven to 220°C.

Wash, peel, and cut 1000 g of mixed root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, and celeriac) into uniform 1 cm cubes.

On a large sheet pan, toss the 1000 g of cubed root vegetables with 15 ml of olive oil, 1 tsp of caraway seeds, 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1/4 tsp of black pepper. Spread them out in a single layer.

Roast the root vegetables in the preheated oven at 220°C for 18 minutes, stirring halfway through, until they are tender and caramelized on the edges.

While the vegetables roast, pat dry 300 g of raw cod fillets with paper towels and season both sides with a pinch of salt and black pepper.

Heat 15 ml of olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cod fillets and sear for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side until a golden crust forms. Carefully flip the fish and cook for another 2 minutes until opaque and flaky. Transfer the cod to a warm plate.

Reduce the skillet heat to medium. Add 40 g of unsalted butter and 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves. Cook for 2 minutes, swirling the pan constantly, until the butter foams, turns a rich hazelnut-brown color, and smells nutty.

Immediately squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon into the pan to stop the butter from burning, then stir in 10 g of chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley.

Assemble the plates: Divide exactly half (500 g) of the roasted root vegetables between two serving plates. Top each portion with a pan-seared cod fillet and spoon the warm caraway brown butter sauce over the fish.

Allow the remaining 500 g of roasted root vegetables to cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator to use for tomorrow's Day 2 frittata.