Crispy Chris

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First broadcast on 209Radio’s Happy and Healthy Hour on 21/4/09 on 105fm in Cambridge. To hear the show on line go to www.209radio.co.uk and click archive.

 

This recipe was pinched from my good Italian friend and great cook Eugenio Iacono.  I have never seen it in any recipe book and it is truly delicious. Pesce is the Italian for fish and my version uses the good old British favourite, COD.  This is a simple dish which is quick and easy to cook with only a few ingredients which are;

 

Ingredients;

 

2 Cod fillet with the skin on – 8oz each

Fresh Garlic (not puree or preserved) – 4 cloves

Dried Birdseye Chillies (optional) – to taste

Sparkling dry white wine e.g. Cava – 200 mls

Light Olive Oil 4 table spoons

Sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

 

Salad

 

Potatoes (New, King Edwards, Maris Pipers the emphasis being on quality) – 1lb.

Small Vine or Cherry Tomatoes - half pound 

Spring onions finely chopped (or cooking onions will do) – 2 table spoons

 

Method;

 

Heat the oil in a large frying pan (you will need a lid later on). Peel and cut the garlic in half lengthways and bruise it slightly with the handle of a knife or similar blunt object to release some flavour then fry the garlic until golden brown and discard. Do not allow to burn!!! This will leave you with wonderfully fragrant oil.

 

Meanwhile rub Malden sea salt into both sides of the fish and place skin-side up into the hot oil for 1 minute then turn it over so the skin is down. At this point add two or three dried chillies (these are optional if you don’t like spicy hot food or if you love it like I do then add lots).

 

Fry the fish on a high-ish heat until the skin is brown and crispy then add the wine and cover the pan.  Turn down the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes basting occasionally.  At this point you will all be horrified as I was when Eugenio first cooked it for me because the fish would have been ready to eat before the wine went in! But trust me, it does work.

 

The Salad;

 

Simple.  Just boil potatoes with the skin on then cut into pieces about an inch across. 

Chop up the tomatoes into half inch chunks and finely chop the spring onions and mix into the potatoes with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Don’t worry if the potatoes get a bit mashed and aren’t piping hot when they get to your plate – that is the Mediterranean way.

 

 

 

 

Plating Up;

 

Place the cod fillet in deep plate or wide pasta bowl and pour over the liquid.  Place a pile of potato salad next to it and serve with Ciabatta bread to dip into the thin soupy sauce.

 

Beautiful sticky, garlicky spicy fish and a tangy potato salad.

 

Buon appetito mi amico. As Eugenio would say!

Chris 209 Radio