Smoked cod tajen with clementine and bronzed onion tahini

The tajen here is the name of the shallow pan traditionally used to prepare the dish. I like to use a shallow baking dish that I can transfer directly to the table to serve.

SERVES FOUR INGREDIENTS

80ml olive oil

2 onions, thinly sliced

1 garlic head, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp ground turmeric

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground ginger

½ tbsp ground black pepper

½ tsp white pepper

½ tbsp dried tarragon

250ml tahini

Juice of 1 grapefruit

Juice of 1 lemon

1-2 clementines or 1 orange, peeled and roughly chopped

240ml white wine

750g lightly smoked cod, haddock or halibut fillets

2 tbsp flaked almonds, lightly toasted

2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted Fresh tarragon or coriander, finely chopped, to serve

Lemon wedges, to serve

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180C/ Gas 4. Grease an ovenproof dish with two tablespoons of the oil.

Place a frying pan over medium-high heat, add the remaining oil and cook the onions for four or five minutes, until lightly browned. Add the garlic, spices and dried tarragon, reduce the heat to mediumlow, cover and cook for a further two or three minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the tahini, grapefruit and lemon juices with about 250ml water. You want the mixture to be a thick and pourable consistency, but not runny.

Once the onions have sweated down, add the clementines, increase the heat to high and let them brown along the edges for about a minute. Pour over the wine, and allow to simmer and evaporate for about a minute or two. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the tahini mixture and cook for a further two or three minutes until the mixture has thickened and looks like it will nicely enrobe the fish. Set aside.

Arrange the cod fillets in the greased dish and season with salt and pepper, then roast for 10 to 12 minutes or until cooked through and opaque.

Pour the warm tahini sauce over the fish and grill on high for another two to three minutes. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds, pine nuts and fresh tarragon or coriander. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.