Cod with Spinach, Potatoes and Red Pepper Sauce

This dish is a great example of how easily something pretty simple can be elevated to a much higher level. The main components - boiled potatoes and fried cod - are good but let’s be honest – a bit simplistic not to say boring. But if you add to the potatoes spinach that has been quickly fried with garlic and you serve it all with a portion of red pepper sauce, you will get a wonderful experience not only for your taste buds but also for your eyes.

This meal apart from being tasty and looking good on a plate is also pretty healthy. It contains spinach – one of the most nutrient dense types of food and cod – an excellent source of Vitamin B12, Iodine, Selenium, Phosphorus and of course low-calorie proteins. And if you would like to make this dish even healthier, you can bake the cod in an oven instead of frying it.

INGREDIENTS (for 4 portions):

3 red peppers,

600g potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 cm pieces,

2 tbsp double cream (preferably thick one),

2 tbsp olive oil,

2 tbsp butter,

2 crushed garlic cloves,

250g spinach,

4 fillets of cod, skinless and boneless, each weighing 100-150g,

Salt and pepper.

METHOD:

1. Preheat a grill in an oven.
2. Cut the peppers into quarters, discard the insides, place them on a baking tray (skin side up) and put under the hot grill until the skin is black and blistered (it will take about 10-15 minutes – the time depends on a grill).
3. When done, put the peppers to a plastic bag, seal it and leave for at least 10 minutes (this will make it easier to peel the skin off).
4. Peel the peppers and liquidise them in a food processor or blender.
5. Transfer to a small pot and if the sauce is too runny, reduce it. When the pepper sauce has consistency to your liking, add the cream and seasoning.
6. Boil the potatoes in salted water till cooked through (cooking time will vary as it depends on a type of potatoes).
7. In a big frying pan gently warm up 1 tbsp of olive oil, fry the garlic quickly just till it releases its aroma, add the spinach and fry it until wilted.
8. In a frying pan heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter, add the seasoned fish and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side till golden and cooked through.
9. Add to the cooked potatoes 1 tbsp of butter and the wilted spinach, check the seasoning; reheat the pepper sauce if not hot enough.
10. On each plate put a portion of potatoes mixed with the spinach, place the fish on top and the sauce on the side.

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Black Pasta with Cod and Tomato Sauce

Fresh black pasta is very special for me as firstly I cannot get it easily in shops and secondly – even if I wanted to make it myself – I still would have a problem with getting the special ingredient. So when it is available either in a shop or in a restaurant, I always try to take advantage of such an opportunity.

The special ingredient – ink of a squid or cuttlefish - not only gives the dark colour to the pasta but also the slight taste of sea. And because of the aquatic flavour, the black pasta is best complimented by fish and seafood, just like in the recipe below.

For this recipe I tried to prepare the fish in a different way. Instead of cooking it with the tomato sauce, I used the Ceviche method: I “cooked” it in lemon juice at first and added to the sauce right at the end, only to warm up. Thanks to it the fish did have a better taste and it didn't fall apart.

INGREDIENTS (4 portions):

400g cod, skinless and boneless, cut into 3cm pieces,

2 tbsp lemon juice,

2 tbsp olive oil,

1 onion chopped,

2 garlic cloves sliced,

0.25 tsp chilli flakes,

2 tbsp chopped parsley,

1 can (~400g) plum tomatoes,

500g black pasta,

0.5 tsp sugar,

salt,

extra olive oil for drizzling,

chopped parsley.

METHOD:

1. Put the cod into a bowl, pour the lemon juice over it and mix gently not to break the fish. Leave it to “cook”. 
2.  Warm up the olive oil in a big frying pan, add the chopped onion, fry gently for 5 min. Add the garlic, chilli, parsley, stir and fry for another 3-5 minutes. 
3.  Add the chopped plum tomatoes, cook for 10 min, stirring occasionally. 
4. Boil the pasta as per packet instruction.  
5. Add the drained cod to the tomato sauce; stir gently and warm up. 
6. Mix with the black pasta and serve sprinkled with the chopped parsley.

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