cod in a garam masala coconut sauce
with greens nestled in fish sauce, lime, garlic & olive oil dressing
Cod in a garam masala coconut sauce recipe
Serve: 6
Ingredients:
800g cod fillets (or any other firm fish such as haddock or halibut)
200g tinned chopped tomatoes
300g grape tomatoes
1 white onion
3 garlic cloves
1 red fresh chilli
5g fresh ginger
250g coconut milk
150g water
20g lime juice + for serving
10g curry powder
10g garam masala
12g brown sugar
5 turns of a black pepper mill
sea salt
vegetable oil
Method:
Prep the fish:
If you are working from a professional kitchen, I suggest using a blue chopping board to prevent cross-contamination. If not, just make sure to clean your board properly with hot soapy water!
Secure the board with a wet paper towel to stop the board from moving around. Check if the fillets are deboned - if not, use a tweezer to remove the bones.
Using a sharp knife grab the tail end of the fillet, make an incision and slice toward the other end trying to get as close to the skin as possible.
Cut the fillets into around 5cm chunks. Season with salt and black pepper on both sides.
Prep vegetables:
Brunoise white onion, mince garlic, grate ginger (use a spoon to peel off the skin) and thinly slice red chilli.
Sauce:
Heat a splash of vegetable oil in a frying pan and sauté onion until soft over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger and red chilli (leave some for presentation) and cook for another 3 minutes. Once fragrant, add garam masala and curry powder and fry to release the flavours.
Mix in tinned tomatoes, add coconut milk to cream up the sauce, water, and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat. Season the sauce with salt, brown sugar, and black pepper.
Add broad beans, and grape tomatoes, and cook for 10 minutes. Taste the sauce and season again if needed.
Keeping the heat on low, lay the fillets in the stew. Gently simmer the fish for around 10 minutes - don’t stir to avoid breaking the flesh structure. Cod cooking time might vary depending on the pieces’ thickness but remember not to cook it for too long, and not to have it on high heat - otherwise, the cod can turn out rubbery and tough. Squeeze in lime juice before serving.
Assemble:
Top with fresh red chilli, mint, and basil, and serve alongside basmati rice and a greens salad (recipe down below).
Greens in fish sauce, lime, garlic & olive oil dressing recipe
Serve: 4
Ingredients:
230g green beans
60g frozen peas
30g salad leaves
20g English cucumber
Dressing
1 garlic clove
1 small red chilli
20g lime juice
10g fish sauce
50g extra virgin olive oil
5 turns of a black pepper mill
sea salt
Method:
Bring a medium pot with heavily salted water to boil.
Prep veg:
Trim off green bean ends. The most efficient way I found is to use kitchen shears - grab a handful of beans and cut both sides.
Cut a cucumber in half and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon (so the salad won’t get watery). Cut the halves into slices 3mm thin.
Mince garlic, slice red chilli thinly, and juice the lime.
Once the water starts to boil, add green beans and peas and simmer for around 3 minutes. Refresh in cold water, drain, and dry on a paper towel.
Make dressing:
Combine minced garlic, red chilli, fish sauce, and lime juice in a bowl. Whisk in olive oil slowly to make the dressing smooth. Add fresh black pepper and season with salt.
Assemble the salad:
Before assembling the salad, make sure the vegetables are dry, otherwise they won’t stick to the dressing. Gently toss all ingredients together in a big bowl (bigger than you think unless you think big enough) with your hands for better distribution of the dressing.
