Pan-fried Cod with Minty Pea Puree
Donal's Notes
I love the simplicity of pan-fried fish – it’s the ultimate fast food. Served with the clean flavours of pea and mint and bulked out with Puy lentils, this makes a snappy supper from very few ingredients.                                  Â
Chopping board
Chopping knife
Frying pan
Food processor
Spatula
Whisk
Fish slice
Wooden spoon
Instructions
1
Start with the prep. Peel and finely chop the shallot and garlic.
2
Finely chop the mint and parsley leaves and set aside.
3
Heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the shallot along with a pinch of salt and fry for 2–3 minutes, or until softened.
4
Add the peas to the pan with 50ml of water and simmer for 5 minutes until the peas are just tender.
5
Tip the contents of the pan into a colander to drain away any excess liquid.
6
Transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Add the mint leaves and blitz until completely smooth. Season to taste.
7
In a small bowl whisk together three quarters of the olive oil with the garlic and parsley.
8
Season the cod fillets with salt and pepper.
9
Heat the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the cod, skin side down, for 4 –5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Carefully turn over and continue to cook for 1–2 minutes, or until just cooked through (the flesh should be just opaque). Remove from the pan and set aside.
10
Return the pan to the heat and warm the drained and rinsed lentils through. Mix in the lemon zest and juice and all but a tablespoon of the parsley oil.
11
Spread the pea purée on serving plates, top with the lentils and place a cod fillet on top. Add a dollop of yoghurt to each cod fillet and drizzle with the remaining parsley oil. Serve immediately.
