Pan Fried Creamy Cod in Saucy Peas with Pea Shoots
I love a good fish chowder-y soup and like a rabbit twitching its' nose I can almost smell the sweet aroma of spring around the bend.
When I make a fish soup I prefer to have a whole piece (supreme) in my bowl so I can break it apart into tender chunks and have my way with it. I also love sweet peas that are just barely cooked and swimming in something so that when I tuck in they pop in my mouth like nature's spring caviar.
Here is my recipe to celebrate soup in the spring. This is in between a chowder and a sauce so you can break up the crispy buttery fillet and have plenty of silky cream and bursting peas to drink in with it.
Yield: 4
Pan Fried Cod in Saucy Creamy Peas with Lemony Herbs and Pea Shoots
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 20 Min
Ingredients
For the Fish
- 1 Skin on cod fillet cut into 4 pieces washed and pat dry
- 1/2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- Sea salt
For the Sauce and Garnish
- 1/2 Tablespoon butter
- 1 Teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Garlic clove sliced thinly
- 250 ml single cream ( 1 cup) + 3 Tbspn sour cream *or* 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) double cream
- 1 Teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 Mint leaves sliced
- 2 (300g) Cups frozen peas defrosted
- Handful of pea shoots
- 3 Tablespoons chives halved
- A few mint leaves torn
- Few sprigs of dill
- Lemon, salt olive oil to dress
Instructions
- Make the sauce by heating the oil and butter in a sauce pan on medium. Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned.
- Add the cream, sour cream, zest, salt and pepper. Whisking bring to a boil to thicken.
- Add the peas and bring back to a boil.
- Add mint, check seasoning, take off heat and set aside.
- Season then fry the fish in batches in a hot pan in the butter and oil 2-3 min skin side down basting along the way. Flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes basting until done. You may have to add more butter/oil. Keep in a warm oven while you work.
- In a small bowl dress the pea shoots, chives, dill and mint with a squeeze of lemon, salt and a touch of olive oil.
- Plate the saucy peas in a bowl give it a sprinkle of crunchy salt and pepper, serve fish on top and add the lemony greens.