Viva Espana!

Having spent the morning with my dad creating a Mediterranean oasis of a garden in what could only be described as Mediterranean weather, I wanted food to match.

Yes everything is looking a little sparse at the moment, but it won’t be long before the flowers are all in bloom, what a site to behold it will be.

With some lovely Whitby cod in the fridge fresh from the fishmonger yesterday and vegetables fresh from the market I set to creating a Spanish inspired meal. 

Cod is a white, light textured flakey fish with an ability to stand up to bold flavours, however, I didn’t want to do anything too strongly flavoured so as to make the most of the fish.  I decided to simply pan fry the fish in butter, giving a lovely golden colour and slightly crisp, nutty edge to the fish.

To accompany this a sweet and sour red pepper relish and Canarian style new potatoes. I remember eating a very similar dish to this when on holiday in a remote area of Tenerife as a young teenager, it was one of those dishes that just stuck in your mind, one to never forget.

The pepper relish is so simple yet so effective, simply onions and red peppers cooked gently in olive oil, then dressed well warm with sherry vinegar and really good quality Spanish olive oil.

Papas Arrugardas (Canarian potatoes) are potatoes cooked in salt water (sea water is traditional) until the skins are dry and wrinkled, doesn’t sound so appetising does it? Do take my word for it though, they are stunning. Traditionally they are served with a mojo sauce however I decided against this, not wanting the piquancy of this sauce to interfere with the rest of the meals components.

The sweet, sour relish really brought the creamy fleshed fish alive, giving a little piquancy, which when paired with the salty, fluffy potatoes really did give a feeling of completeness.

Adding a dash of sweet paprika, as you can see above, gave the sauce a gorgeous ruby tint, which with the sheen of the olive oil, glistened beautifully.  Very appealing to eyes and tastebuds alike.

The meal went down a storm, to quote my mother “another culinary masterpiece” and my dad “a real taste of the Med”; needless to say I’m very very pleased.

I’m so glad I had my notebook to hand as this is a recipe I want to recreate over and over again.

The Recipes (Serve 4):

Agrio-Dulce Peppers:

• 60ml olive oil
• 2 onions peeled and finely sliced
• 1 large red peppers, sliced
• 2 large red sweet pointed peppers, cut into rings
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 large sprig of thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• salt and pepper

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan and add the chopped onions, fry very gently for 25-30 minutes, until softened but not coloured.
2. Add the peppers, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, paprika, sugar and water cook for a further 15-20 minutes until the peppers are softened and the onions beginning to caramelise.
3. Whisk together the extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar, along with a little salt and pepper, add to the pan and toss together.
4. Serve with the cod resting on top, scatter the basil leaves over the fish.

Butter Fried Cod:

• 4 cod fillets, skin left on
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, large enough to hold all the fish with plenty of space.
2. Add the butter to the hot oil and allow to get slightly brown.
3. Add the fish, skin side down and cook for 3-5 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish).
4. Turn the fish and cook for a further 3-4 minutes, very gently to avoid colouring the fish.

Papas Arrugardas:

• 1 kg Small potatoes 
• 4 Tablespoons Rock Salt

1. Wash the potatoes thoroughly in fresh water but do not peel, add potatoes to saucepan of fresh water with 4 tablespoons of rock salt. 
2. Bring to the boil and simmer fast for approximately 20 minutes or until tender and cooked. 
3. Drain the potatoes, leaving small amount of water in the pan. 
4. Return the potatoes to the pan and boil off remaining liquid, keeping the potatoes moving until the skins are dry. Remove, any excess salt (not all the salt) from the skins with kitchen roll and serve in separate, warmed bowl.