Provençale cod is full of delicious flavours from the south of France. Plenty of ripe tomatoes, herbs and garlic. Nice and easy to prepare and cook it will be on the table in 45 minutes.
Quantities in the recipe below will serve four people. Allow fifteen minutes for prep and thirty for cooking.
Ingredients For Provençale Cod
4 x 170g cod fillets from Walter Purkis & Sons
3 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
350g cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
250ml passata
1 splash of dry white wine
200g courgettes or similar sized baby squash, cut into bite-sized chunks
125g pitted dry black olives
1 tbsp butter
Handful of fresh herbs e.g. basil, lemon thyme, parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper, to season
Cooking Method For Pan Fried Cod
Prepare the cod by patting the fillets dry with kitchen paper, and seasoning them well with salt and pepper on both sides.
For the Provencal vegetables, heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a wide-based non-stick pan on a medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook for a few minutes until they start to soften.
Add the tomatoes, dried herbs, passata and white wine. Mix well then bring up to a high heat before reducing to a gentle simmer and cooking for around 8 minutes, or until the tomatoes have broken down.
Add the courgettes or squash and continue to cook on a gentle heat until just cooked and still with a bit of bite. Stir through the olives and fresh herbs. Check the seasoning and keep the tomato sauce warm until ready to serve.
To cook the cod fillets, heat the remaining olive oil and butter in a non-stick frying pan on a high heat, and add the fillets, skin-side down (if skin-on). Cook for 4–5 minutes before carefully turning over and cooking for a further 3–4 minutes on the other side, spooning the cooking juices over the fish regularly until it’s cooked through. Keep in mind that thicker fillets will take a bit longer than thin. It is cooked when the flsh turns opaque and starts to flake.
Serve each cod fillet on a generous bed of the tomato and vegetables sauce, and accompany with crispy potatoes and some green beans.
If you are looking for mod cod cooking inspiration or recipes try here >>
Recipe and image credits Seafish
