Tamasin Day Lewis’s Greek Potatoes with Cod – Simple, yet complex
Greek Potatoes with Cod is the perfect one dish supper: quick, delicious, filling but also perfect for guests.
Let me elaborate on my statement that this is a complex yet simple dish. I realise that something being simple yet complex is an oxymoron. However, in food, as in literature, sometimes a few simple things can produce something so complicated that you feel certain that the chef/author must have spent hours labouring over it.
Last night’s supper was one of those occasions. When I read cookbooks, it’s not just for fun or to lull me to sleep, promising me dreams of quinces and gilded gooses. In fact, I mentally compartmentalise dishes for future preparation. Somewhere in the dusty recesses of my brain, filed under ‘Recipes for Future Preparation’ are just that, recipes like the one I prepared last night, Greek Potatoes with Cod from Tamasin Day-Lewis’s Good Tempered Food. I say prepared rather than cooked because the dish cooked itself really. It’s complexity lies within the fusion of good quality olive oil, onions, garlics, salt, pepper and long, slow cooking in the oven.
Like Jane Grigson’s cabbage stuffed in the Troo style or even a baked potato lubricated with unsalted butter, the fewer the ingredients, the greater the harmony between the flavours. Italian cooking has always utilised this theory. It is amazing how some butter, perhaps some chopped parsley, freshly ground pepper and flurry of icy sea salt flakes can transform a mediocre lunch into something fantastic.
Greek potatoes with cod has become an instant family favourite because it combines two of my favourite things: potatoes and an easy after work meal that tastes exciting and wholesome. I served it with homemade cheats mushy peas (in fact, better than non-cheats mushy peas in my opinion) but a simple salad and some bread to mop up the oily, thyme-infused juices would be just as good.
Baked Cod
This dish is prepared in two simple stages:
- Roast the potatoes, seasoned generously with olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, garlic and onion
- Add the cod to the potatoes and roast until tender and flaky
And that’s it! I love to serve it with my cheat’s mushy peas recipe (more of petits pois puree) as the sweetness of the peas is perfect for the salty, lemony cod and potatoes.
Other Fish?
Fish can be quite expensive at the moment, so use whichever meaty fish you can find: haddock, hake, monkfish. They will all vary slightly in cooking times, so just be mindful.
Tip
I use shop bought potato wedges to make this even quicker. I don’t use frozen ones (they are usually heavily seasoned) but my local Tesco does fresh wedges on their chiller section. They usually cook a bit quicker too.
Greek Potatoes with Cod
INGREDIENTS
- 500 g Potatoes waxy, peeled and cut into quarters longwise (or eighths if particularly large)
- 1 Onion medium, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 Garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- Lemon juice only
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Thyme fresh
- Salt and pepper
- Water to cover
- 500 g Cod loin or fillet
Cheats Mushy Peas
- 300 g Peas petits pois, frozen
- 2 Garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
- 1 tsp Vegetable stock powder Bouillon is a good organic brand or use some fresh stock if you have some.
- 1 tbsp Crème fraiche or natural yogurt
- 1 tsp Unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 200c.
- Lay the quartered potatoes in a roasting dish, so they fit snuggly but in one layer.
- Sprinkle with the onion, garlic and thyme, season well, then anoint with the lemon juice and olive oil.
- Pour water over the potatoes until just covered.
- Cook in preheated oven, uncovered, for 25 minutes, then turn potatoes over. Cook for about another 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Note: cooking times may vary on the type of potato.
- 15 minutes before the potatoes are done (when you've turned them), lay the cod loin on top of the potatoes, skin side down, season with a little salt and pepper.
- Roast for 10-15 minutes or until the flesh starts to flake away and a sharp knife goes through the fish without any resistance.
- Serve, spooning the potato, onion and garlic scented oil over the cod.
Cheats Mushy Peas
- Cover the mushy peas and garlic cloves with water and the sprinkle over the stock powder or liquid.
- Cook for about 2-4 minutes until defrosted and thoroughly warm.
- Drain peas and garlic (reserving about 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquor).
- Put into a blender, with a tablespoon of the reserved liquor, and all the other ingredients.
- Blend until the peas are at the consistency you like. You may like them really smooth like a puree, or a bit lumpy. This takes no more than a few seconds in the blender.
- Taste for seasoning, add more stock if needed.
- Serve with the above Greek potatoes and cod or just plain fish and chips!
