Roasted Norwegian Cod with Pepperonata & Basil

Recipe created by Mitch Tonks, ambassador for Norwegian Seafood Council

Pepperonata is an Italian stew of peppers and onions. Here, Mitch Tonks shows us how combine it with roasted Norwegian cod.

Serves 4

You Will Need

4 pieces Norwegian cod loin about 180g each

2 red onions finely sliced

2 cloves garlic finely chopped

1 tablespoon tomato puree

Sprig thyme

Tablespoon sugar

A pinch saffron

A good pinch of cumin

Juice of one lemon

1 red pepper finely shredded

1 Yellow pepper finely shredded

A few basil leaves roughly torn

Olive oil

A Splash of red wine or balsamic vinegar

To Make

Heat some olive oil in a pan and add the garlic, onions and thyme and cook gently for 10-15 minutes without colouring. Then add the tomato paste and the sugar and gently cook, add the peppers and gently cook for a further 30-35 minutes until softened and the whole mixture is really stewed down.

Add the saffron and cumin and continue to cook down, and then add a good splash of red wine vinegar to balance the sweetness. The pepperonata should be a soft and really cooked down – tasting almost sweet and sour from the natural sweetness of the ingredients and the vinegar. Pre heat a frying pan and add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, when the oil is hot, season the fish then place in the pan until golden on one side. This will only take 4-5 minutes, turn the fish over then place the whole pan in the oven which is pre heated to 240 to finish the cooking for a further 4-5 minutes.

Warm the pepperonata and stir in a few basil leaves and a little squeeze of lemon, season and serve with or alongside the fish.