Cooking Mediterranean food always feels like a ticket to a sun-soaked escape — which is exactly what I envisioned when I attempted Spanish Cod in Tomato Sauce for the first time. Cod, tomato, garlic, peppers, parsley — easy, right? Wrong. It started with a confused stare at the fish counter. Cod, apparently, looks suspiciously like every other white fish. I chose the most expensive fillets, assuming that meant "fancy." (Note to self: always ask the fishmonger.)
Back home, I channeled my inner Spanish chef. Garlic sizzled. Onions softened. The tomato sauce smelled divine — like vacation in a pan. I was feeling good. Until the cod entered the scene.
Now, cod is delicate — noa tender diva of the sea. I, however, handled it like a linebacker. I poked. I flipped. I panicked. It flaked. A lot. My elegant fillets dissolved into what could generously be called “rustic.”
But then I tasted it. Magic. The sauce was rich and bright, the cod buttery and tender, and the lemon slices added a zingy lift. Despite its flaked-up appearance, it was downright delicious — like a broken heart that still writes beautiful poetry
And next time? I’ll be gentler with the cod. Maybe even whisper sweet nothings while it poaches.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
400g fillet of cod
3 cloves garlic
1 small onion
1⁄2 red bell pepper
1⁄2 green bell pepper
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
400g can tomato puree
sea salt
black pepper
white sugar
fresh parsley
lemon
Instructions:
1. Thinly slice 3 cloves of garlic, finely dice 1 small onion, finely dice 1/2 of a red bell pepper and 1/2 of a green bell pepper, pat down a the fillet of cod with paper towels, cut it into 4 evenly sized pieces, then season them with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
2. Heat a non-stick frying pan with a medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 2 minutes after adding the oil add the fillets of cod into the pan skin side up, 2 minutes later flip the fillets, after a total cooking time of 4 minutes remove the cod fillets from the pan and transfer them into a dish and cover it with seran wrap.
3. Using the same pan with the same heat add the sliced garlic and diced onions into the pan and mix them with the oil, scrapping up anything that was left over from the cod, after about 1 minute add the diced bell bell peppers into the pan and cook for about 5 minutes, then season everything with sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper and a generous 1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika and mix everything together, then add one can of tomato puree, season again with sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper and a pinch of white sugar, mix it all together until well combined and reduse the heat
4. After leaving the sauce to simmer for 5 minutes add the fillets of cod back into the pan and place a lid on top, 2 minutes later remove the lid and transfer the pan to a flat surface, serve directly from the pan, garnish with some freshly chopped parsley and a couple slices of lemon.
