Grilled cod with smashed minty peas recipe (From York Press)

Grilled cod with smashed minty peas recipe

10:46am Saturday 14th April 2012 in Too Many Cooks

An optimistic LUCY POTTER cooks up a taste of summer with her recipe for grilled cod with smashed minty peas.

THIS week, it seems that April really is the cruellest month. Last week’s unseasonably hot weather has been snatched from right beneath our befreckled noses.

Still, in the kitchen at least, we can maintain the illusion by cooking meals with all those lovely light summery flavours like peas, new potatoes, fresh herbs and lemony salad leaves.

Garden peas in pods is a quintessential flavour of early English summer, but frozen ones are almost as good the rest of the year.

For a fresh take on the classic ‘mushy peas’, I like to ‘smash’ peas in a big pestle and mortar with plenty of fresh mint. As well as the yummy result, it’s such a great way to relieve stress. You can use a small blender instead, but make sure not to over-blend – you’re looking for a rough texture rather than smooth puree.

Grilling is a simple and healthy way of cooking fish, and using foil means you save on washing up. If you prefer, dust with flour and shallow-fry until lightly golden. Either way, serve the cod and peas with sautéed new potatoes and/or a lemony green salad (with fresh pea tops if you can get them).

And let’s all hope the sun comes out to play again soon.

Ingredients (serves 2):

Two chunky pieces of cod or haddock loin (about 200g to 225g each)
200g frozen peas
Handful of fresh mint leaves
One lemon
Lemon-infused olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
½ punnet of garden cress (optional)

Method:

Preheat an overhead grill to its highest setting.

Tip the frozen peas into a pan of rapidly boiling water. As soon as it starts to bubble again, drain and run the peas under a cold tap to retain the colour and fresh taste.

Tear the mint into a pestle and mortar and bash with a large pinch of salt to make a paste. Add a handful of peas and smash, gradually adding the rest as the volume reduces. Work in a generous drizzle of lemon-infused olive oil and plenty of black pepper. (Alternatively, whizz everything in a blender for a few seconds). Leave the texture fairly rough and chunky.

Check your fish is completely dry and season well. Rub with a little oil and place on doubled-over foil. Grill for four to six minutes per side, or until just cooked through. It should be white, opaque and firm to the touch.

Squeeze lemon juice into the peas and check for seasoning. Spoon onto plates and top with the grilled cod. Scatter over the cress and serve with lemon wedges.