Cod Provencal Style Recipe

Prepare vegetables

Trim top and base of fennel, reserve feathery fronds for garnish, thinly slice the bulb. Core and seed the red pepper, cut into 1cm strips. Peel and finely chop the onion. Score tomatoes with an X, blanch in boiling water 20–30 seconds, then transfer to cold water, peel, core and chop. Finely mince the garlic.

Cook fondue

Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a wide sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt, sweat for 4–5 minutes until translucent. Add sliced fennel and cook 5 minutes until it begins to soften. Add red pepper and garlic, cook 3–4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and chopped tomatoes, deglaze with white wine and reduce by half. Add stock, herbes de Provence, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer gently, uncovered, 12–15 minutes until mixture is thick but saucy. Adjust seasoning. Keep warm on very low heat.

Prepare and cook

Trim and rinse samphire. Cut courgettes into 5mm rounds on the diagonal. Heat 1 tbs olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add courgette slices and sear 1–2 minutes per side until lightly golden but still tender-crisp. Remove to a plate. Briefly blanch samphire in boiling water for 20–30 seconds, then plunge into ice water to stop cooking. Drain and add to the skillet with the courgettes, add lemon zest and black pepper, toss for 30 seconds to combine and warm through. Keep warm.

Make sauce

Halve or quarter cherry tomatoes as needed. In a bowl combine extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, capers, chopped parsley, sliced basil, salt and pepper. Fold in tomatoes and let sit at room temperature 10 minutes to macerate. Taste and adjust acidity or seasoning. Keep at room temperature.

Season cod

Pat cod fillets dry with paper towel. Season both sides with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Cook cod

Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add cod, cook 3–4 minutes without moving until golden on the bottom. Carefully flip and reduce heat to medium, add 15 g butter to the pan and spoon butter and oil over the fish for 2–4 minutes more until cooked through and opaque (internal temp ~60°C/140°F) and flaky. Remove fish to a warm plate and rest 2 minutes.

On each warmed plate, spoon a generous bed of the fennel, tomato & red pepper fondue in the center. Arrange a portion of the warm courgette and samphire alongside the fondue. Place a cooked cod fillet on top of the fondue. Spoon 1–2 tbs of Sauce Vierge over the fish (fresh tomato pieces and herb oil), and pour any remaining sauce around the plate as desired. Dot with reserved fennel fronds and micro herbs, add a lemon wedge, and serve immediately.