Prep: 50mins – Serves 2 – Easy
For the risotto:
300g peas
½ onion
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp olive pol
20g butter
175g risotto rice (carnaroli or Arborio)
75ml white wine
600ml vegetable stock
1 handfull fresh mint
1 handful fresh basil
2 handful rocket
30g parmesan
salt and pepper
For the fish:
2 cod fillets
2 slices white bread
1 garlic clove
1 tsp lemon zest
1 handful fresh mint
1 handful fresh basil
2 tsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
pepper
olive oil
2 handfuls rocket
Start by cooking the peas in boiling, salted water for 2 minutes until soft. Drain and put half of the peas into a bowl and purée with a hand blender.
Over to the herb crust: toast the bread slices until golden. Leave to cool, then tear into chunks and put into a blender. Peel and roughly chop the garlic clove and add to the blender with the lemon zest, mint, basil, olive oil, salt and some pepper. Blend until you get a wet, breadcrumb mix.
Season the cod fillets on all sides with salt and pepper. Lay into an oiled oven tray and cover the top with the herb crumbs, pressing them down to form a crust. Shape the remaining herb crumbs into a small “biscuit” and lay it next to the fish in the tray. Refrigerate until needed.
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan.
Over to the risotto: Peel and finely chop the half onion, peel and finely chop the garlic clove. Heat the olive oil and 10g butter in a saucepan and fry the chopped onion and garlic clove in it for 3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
Add the risotto rice, stir well and fry for another minute, then add the wine and bring to the boil while stirring. Once the risotto rice has absorbed all the wine, gradually add the vegetable stock – always a ladle at a time, stirring between each addition and only adding more liquid once all the liquid has been absorbed. This will take approximately 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, bake the fish in the preheated oven for 12 minutes.
Pour enough olive oil into a frying pan, to cover the base. Heat the oil and fry two handfuls of rocket in the hot oil for 2 minutes until crisp (be careful as the oil will spit when you add the rocket). Drain the fried rocket on kitchen roll.
Back to the risotto: roughly chop the mint, basil and rocket needed for the risotto. Once the risotto has absorbed all the stock, add the chopped herbs, the pea purée, peas, 10g butter and parmesan and fold into the risotto. Season with salt and pepper.
Distribute some risotto onto two plates, lay a baked cod fillet on top and top with a bit of fried rocket. Crumble the herb “biscuit” on the plate and decorate with fresh herbs.