Recipe: Moroccan salted cod on wilted pak choi

Serves two

Two 200gm thick cod fillets – skin on

One level tablespoon of Maldon sea salt

One teaspoon of chilli flakes

One teaspoon of madras curry powder

One teaspoon cumin powder

One tablespoon of chopped fresh coriander

One tablespoon of chopped fresh basil

One tablespoon of chopped sun-blushed tomatoes

Four spring onions – chopped

Four large-ish (plum) vine tomatoes

One large pak choi*

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7 (210°C).

Take the chilli flakes, curry powder, cumin, coriander, basil, sun-blushed tomatoes and spring onions and blitz in a food processor or mash in a mortar and pestle until you have a crumbly paste. Let down with a little olive oil until you have a hand-mouldable paste that you’ll use to coat the fish. Mix the salt into the paste and roll the cod in it to coat all over.

Put the cod in a baking dish and place the vine tomatoes alongside once they have been sprinkled with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Maldon sea salt. Place in the oven and cook for around 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, trim the ends from the pak choi and cut it down the middle to make two portions. Clean under running water to ensure there’s no grit inside. Blanch it for two minutes in a large pan of salted water and drain.

To serve, place the pak choi in the centre of warmed plates and place the cod on top. To add a little extra both visually and for taste, the dish can be dressed with a walnut pesto made by blitzing a handful each of walnuts, parsley, rocket and basil with a clove of garlic and enough oil to make it a bit runny. Add some finely grated parmesan and scatter it around the plates.

* Pak choi is quite commonly available and provides an interesting texture somewhere between that of lettuce and cabbage. If you can’t get it you could substitute shredded spring greens, blanched for two or three minutes in boiling water and drained.