Pan-fried cod with sanfaina sauce

Bacalao con sanfaina

Sanfaina is a typical Catalan accompaniment that’s very similar to a ratatouille and, like all stewed dishes, is best made the day before eating to give time for the flavours to fully develop. This rich, earthy sauce pairs perfectly with both fresh and salt cod. If using salted cod, you will need to soak it in a water bath for 48 hours and change the water at 12-hour intervals before proceeding with this recipe.

SERVES 4

4 fresh cod fillets (200 g/7 oz each) or salted cod (pre-soaked, see above)

smoked paprika, to serve

olive oil, to serve

chopped flat-leaf parsley, to serve

FOR THE SANFAINA SAUCE

3 ripe tomatoes

olive oil

2 brown onions, roughly chopped

2 long green capsicums (peppers), cut into large dice

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

1 large eggplant (aubergine), cut into large dice

1 large zucchini (courgette), cut into large dice

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

2–3 thyme sprigs

To make the sanfaina sauce, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil over high heat and blanch the tomatoes for 1 minute, until the skins split. Peel and chop the flesh roughly. Put a generous dash of olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onion, green pepper and salt for 2–3 minutes, until soft. Add the eggplant, zucchini and garlic, and cook, for 2–3 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add the paprika and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato and thyme, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 30 minutes.

When you are ready to cook the fish, preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F/Gas Mark 7). Pat the fillets dry with paper towel and season each side with freshly ground black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil on both sides and heat an ovenproof frying pan on the stovetop over high heat. When smoking hot, cook the fillets, skin side up, for 2 minutes. Put the pan into the oven and finish cooking the fish on the middle or top shelf for 8 minutes, or until just cooked. You may need to crisp the skin under the grill (broiler) at the end of cooking.

Serve the fish on top of the sanfaina, crispy side up, and garnish with the paprika, some pepper, a drizzle of olive oil and the parsley.