So the simple stuff first - the tartare sauce. I don't know how you guys feel about it, but I basically can't handle fish without some kind of sauce and my go-to sauce is tartare. I absolutely love it with fish and am personally responsible for the high volume of jars we go through in this house. But this recipe is something else. When I finished blending up the first lot of ingredients (parsley, gherkins, capers, anchovies and lemon) and added in the mayo, I had a taste and it was exactly like the stuff you get out of the jar. I mean exactly. So after adding the last few ingredients (olive oil, paprika, more lemon) and taking it to the table, and eventually giving it a stir it just became something else entirely. It was divine. I think I'll make this in future for all fish meals, because it is just that good! And easy!
The mashy peas were really interesting. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the whole thing, particularly because there was mint sauce involved. But once everything was bubbling away on the stove and I realised just how big the pot of vegies actually was and how comparatively little the amount of mint sauce was I figured it would all turn out okay. And it did! There was just the slightest hint of mint flavour to the vegies and it didn't ruin it for me at all. Plus its an easy way to get a variety of vegies onto a plate without taking up too much room.
The warm salad was just gorgeous. Once you crisp up the pancetta and then throw in a stack of garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar it just smells amazing. You have to give it a couple of minutes to caramelise and cool a bit before you throw the leaves on top, but because they wilt a little it is really easy to give them a toss and next thing you know you've got one of the yummiest warm leafy salads in existence! I recommend this one - it is perfect for winter when you feel like you need a bit of greenery in your meal but don't want to feel like you're eating a cold, boring salad. Plus you get the flavours of the balsamic and the garlic all through the dish. Yum!
And lastly, the part you've been waiting for - the crusted cod! It was pretty hectic down at the fish market during the day and we ended up with some barramundi instead of cod, but I promise you it works just the same! I actually prepared the fish a little earlier than everything else, just to give it a bit longer to soak up some of the herbs and also to let it warm a little after sitting in the fridge all day. I did the seasoning and set it aside while getting some other bits and pieces ready, and then after a few minutes in the oven I topped it with the two layers of crust. The first layer is a nice mix of flavours, namely basil, parmesan, sundried tomato and a few other bits, all blended down into a paste and smeared over the fleshy part of the fillet. Then a layer of breadcrumbs mixed with garlic and olive oil over the top of that. I let it bake until I thought it was ready (we have all but abandoned the 30 minute part of the meals these days) and then took it to the table.
I can't explain how delicious this whole thing is. After last week I think we all really needed a success story to help us stay on track and keep up the momentum. And this was the perfect meal to do just that! It was warm, filling, fresh, flavoursome and I really can't complain about any of it. Well....maybe a dessert would have been nice. Ha! But really, this is going on the list of favourite meals. For someone who is a self-professed failure when it comes to cooking fish, I am really proud of this meal. Hats off to Mr Oliver for such a simple, amazing recipe.
The menu for next week includes Swedish-Style Fishcakes, Roasted Baby New Potatoes, Sprout Salad and Fresh Zingy Salsa. I'm not sure how I feel about all of that... the word 'fishcakes' doesn't exactly conjure up images of a sophisticated, brag-worthy dish. But I have faith that it will taste good, whatever it ends up looking like!
So until next time - Bon Appetit!
No comments:
Post a Comment