Roast cod with a Chorizo and Herb Crumb with Roast Cherry Tomatoes

by Jane Devonshire

"I often serve this to family and friends, and even those who are not overly keen on fish enjoy this pairing. It’s really not complicated, and the end result is lovely."

Extract from Hassle Free, Gluten Free by Jane Devonshire (Bloomsbury Absolute, £22)

Photography © Mike Cooper

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 4 x 150g-200g cod loin fillets
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 40g chorizo, chopped
• For the crumb: 75g chorizo, chopped
• 120g gluten-free, breadcrumbs
• 10g fresh coriander, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve
• 5g fresh basil, roughly chopped
• grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180F/Gas Mark 6.
2. Place all the crumb ingredients into a food processor and use the pulse setting to mix it all together. You don’t want a powdery crumb but something with a little texture. Alternatively you could finely chop the chorizo and mix it with the rest of the crumb ingredients.
3. Put a little olive oil into the bottom of a roasting dish and place the cod on top, turning it in the oil so both sides are coated. Divide the crumb topping into four and press a portion onto each fish fillet, covering the top with a thick crumb. You might have a little left over – it depends on the size of the fillets.
4. Put the tomatoes in the roasting dish with the fish, and sprinkle around the chopped chorizo. Place in the oven for 10–12 minutes, until the fish is cooked through. Pierce the fish with a cocktail stick – if there is any resistance it needs another couple of minutes.
5. Serve the fish with the roast tomatoes and chorizo from the pan, along with some of the orange cooking oi (from chorizo)l, then sprinkle over some chopped coriander. I serve this with creamy mash and green vegetables or a lovely big salad.