Pesto cod with crispy potatoes and charred sweetcorn salsa
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 10 to 30 mins
- Serve
- Serves 4
An easy, family-friendly fish recipe that's perfect for busy week nights.
Each serving provides 665 kcal, 32.4g protein, 72.7g carbohydrate (of which 10.7g sugars), 24.4g fat (of which 3.8g saturates), 12g fibre and 1.19g salt.
Ingredients
For the potatoes
- 750g/1lb 10oz new or baby potatoes, halved
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves only, roughly chopped
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, needles only, roughly chopped
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the cod
- 2 stale pittas
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, needles only, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, ½ zested, ½ thinly sliced
- 4 chunky skinless cod fillets, around 160g/5½oz per fillet
- 4 tsp red pesto
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the corn salsa
- 2 x 160g tins sweetcorn, drained
- 1 large ripe avocado, skin and stone removed, diced
- 100g/3½oz cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Put the potatoes into a roasting tin. Drizzle over the oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the herbs, then roast for 30 minutes.
Roughly tear the pitta straight into a food processor along with the rosemary. Blitz then grate in the zest of half the lemon and blitz briefly again to make breadcrumbs.
Place the lemon slices in a roasting tin and lie the cod fillets on top. Season each fillet with a little salt and pepper. Spread 1 teaspoon of pesto on top of each fillet before sprinkling over the breadcrumbs – press to stick it to the pesto (any leftover breadcrumbs can be stored in an airtight container for another recipe). When the potatoes have roasted for 10 minutes, turn them and add the cod to the oven. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the cod is cooked through.
Meanwhile, to make the corn salsa, dry the drained sweetcorn with some kitchen paper to remove as much moisture as possible. Place a frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the corn. Allow the sweetcorn to char for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once charred, tip the sweetcorn into a bowl to cool slightly. Add the avocado, tomatoes and lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper. Gently fold all the ingredients together, being careful not to bruise the avocado too much.
When ready to serve, remove the cod and crispy potatoes from the oven. Serve the cod with the potatoes and sweetcorn salsa. Serve with extra lemon wedges, if you like.
Recipe tips
Other sustainable white fish can be used for this recipe, or even a piece of salmon would work – just make sure your fillets are nice and chunky to ensure the cooking times are accurate.
