Cod nicoise recipe
Cod nicoise
This popular dish from the south of France has almost as many variations as there are good cooks in that part of the Mediterranean, and that's a lot. Here I've chosen to include okra, which adds a slightly more robust feel to the dish, as well as the other vegetables that are essential to anything 'nicoise'. This dish gives you protein and B vitamins from the cod,masses of vitamin C from the vegetables and antioxidant lycopene from the tomatoes. Incidentally, although good fresh tomatoes undoubtedly have that special flavour and aroma, tomatoes lose very few of their nutrients in canning. There should always be a few cans in your cupboard. (Serves 4)
Olive oil: 4 tablespoons
Onion: 1, finely chopped
Garlic: 2 cloves, finely chopped
Chopped, canned organic tomatoes: 700g
Okra: 10, sliced
Green pepper: 1, de-seeded and finely cubed
Aubergine: half, peeled and cubed
Fresh herbs: 2 tablespoons, chopped
Cod steaks: 4
Fresh breadcrumbs: 4 tablespoons
French bread: to serve
Heat the oil, add the onion and garlic and saute for about 3 minutes until soft / Add the tomatoes, okra, pepper, aubergine and herbs and simmer for 15 minutes / Arrange the cod in a single layer in a large ovenproof dish / Pour over the tomato mixture and sprinkle on the breadcrumbs / Bake at 200 degrees celcius/400 degrees fahrenheit/gas mark 6 for 20 minutes / Serve with crusty French bread.