ROASTED COD FILLETS WITH BURRATA AND BURNT ORANGES
PG tested
Trade your frying pan and bread crumbs for a hot oven and some Mediterranean spices this Lenten season with this simple roasted cod dish. It’s a lot less fuss, and what you save in calories can be wasted instead on your favorite Girl Scout cookies.
Chili pepper flakes, thyme and garlic oil add a punch of flavor to the flaky mild fish. The caramelized orange slices will make you think of summer, when it’s so easy to throw fruit on the grill.
I couldn’t find pomegranate seeds to garnish the burrata, a fresh, soft Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream, but I didn’t miss them. Sprinkle on some extra pistachios instead.
For cod
4 cod fillets (about ½ pound each) Garlic oil 4 teaspoons dried thyme 2 teaspoons chili pepper flakes
Finely grated zest of 2 unwaxed lemons
Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
For burrata
1 orange or blood orange Extra-virgin olive oil ½-pound ball of burrata ½ cup pomegranate seeds ¼ cup pistachios, roughly chopped
2 pinches nigella or black sesame seeds ½ teaspoon sumac Maldon sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
Handful mint leaves, torn
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a roasting pan with parchment paper.
Place fish fillets on prepared pan and drizzle generously with garlic oil to coat each piece. Sprinkle with thyme, chili pepper flakes, lemon zest and a generous amount of salt and pepper.
Roast until fish is cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes, depending on thickness.
While fish is roasting, make burrata salad. To segment the orange, use a sharp knife to first cut away the top and bottom of fruit. Rest orange on cut surface, then slice away strips of peel and pith to expose flesh all around the orange. Slice segments of orange and discard leftover skin.
Blacken the orange segment using a kitchen torch or, alternatively, heat a frying pan on the highest possible heat until hot, brush a little oil on both sides of segments and place in pan. Leave them to cook until starting to blacken, about 1 minute per side.
Place ball of burrata in center of serving plate (you can pull it apart into rough quarters if you like). Arrange burnt orange segments on the plate and scatter over the pomegranate seeds, pistachios, nigella seeds and sumac. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and scatter mint leaves over top.
Serve with hot fish, with toasted pita bread for scooping.