I love this smoky and spicy hot pepper and tomato sauce and it compliments both the fish and the potatoes beautifully without overpowering anything. The onions add natural sweetness and reduce the acidity of the sauce. An easy mid-week supper with tons of flavour and colour! Finish by drizzling with some healthy and delicious The Governor extra virgin olive oil from Corfu!
Ingredients (serves 2)
For the pan fried cod
- 2 fillets of cod, skin on
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for frying
- A knob of butter
- A squeeze of lemon
For the Jersey Royals
- 3-4 potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half lengthwise
- 1 tsp mixed dried herbs
- 1 tsp garlic powder or granules
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For the Bourdeto sauce
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium size onions, grated or blitzed in a blender
- 200ml of passata or 3-4 medium size tomatoes, skinned, seeds removed and finely chopped
- 1 flame roasted pepper (Florina), roughly chopped
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 small whole chilli finely chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
For the crispy onion
- 1 medium size onion, finely sliced
- Vegetable or sunflower oil for deep frying
Method
Preheat the oven to 200 0C. Put the potatoes in an oven proof dish, sprinkle with oil, garlic powder and mixed dried herbs, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and bake for 30-40 minutes till golden.
To make the bourdeto sauce, bring a saute pan to a medium heat. Add the olive oil and the onion and sweat for a few minutes till the onion is translucent. Add the paprika and chopped chilli and give it a good stir. Add the pepper and the tomatoes or passata, stir, season with salt and pepper and cook slowly till the sauce thickens. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. If you want the sauce smooth, blitz it in a food processor.
To fry the onion, bring a saucepan with oil up to just below the middle to around 1350C. Drop the onion in the oil and cook for a few minutes. Drain on kitchen paper and continue heating the oil till it reaches 1770C. Drop the onions back into the oil and be ready with the spider ladle or a fine sieve to remove quickly before it browns too much as it will be bitter. Drain again on kitchen paper.
Finally, to cook the fish, pat the fillets dry and season with salt and pepper. Bring a pan to a high heat, add the oil and the fish skin side down. Cook on the skin side for 2-3 minutes and turn over. Add the butter and baste the fish with it as it melts. Cook the flesh side for another 2 minutes and sprinkle with the lemon juice before serving.
Spoon the sauce in the middle of the plate, put some potatoes in the middle, top with the fish and crispy onions and some peppery leaves too like rocket or nasturtiums.