Pan Seared Whitby Cod - Finest North Sea Cod With Roasted Tomatoes & Basil Oil Dressing

Sometimes in life its the simple things that give the greatest satisfaction and its very much the same with what we eat. If you use our region’s best quality produce there is no need to overcomplicate the flavours and that’s very much our philosophy here at Estbek. Why mess with our local produce? Just let the natural quality speak for itself!

For fish this is very important as too many flavours spoil the star attraction. As for the wine – I don’t think you can go far wrong with a Sauvignon Blanc and the supermarkets shelves are packed with good ones, so pick your favourite & enjoy!

Ingredients (per-person):
175g – 225g (6-8oz) piece of Cod
Small Bunch of Cherry Tomatoes (approximately 8 small tomatoes)
Bunch of Fresh Basil
Lemon
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pepper (for seasoning)

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 8 (230oC / 450oF)
1.    First make the Basil Oil Dressing by blending a large handful of Basil leaves with some Olive Oil (Remove 5 or 6 of the tips and save) in a bowl with an electric hand blender (or food processor) until a smooth and even consistency & put to one side until later.
2.    Heat a non-stick frying pan until hot.
3.    Rub a small amount of Olive Oil onto the cod (flesh side only) and sprinkle with a small amount of grinded pepper.
4.    Place into the pan flesh side down & fry for approximately 2 minutes until it has lightly browned.
5.    Remove from the frying pan and place onto a oven-proof plate (browned side up).
6.    Cover the plate loosely with tin-foil.
7.    Place the vine tomatoes in an oven-proof dish and drizzle with oil and a sprinkle of pepper, place in the oven on the top shelf.
8.    After 4 minutes place the foil wrapped cod into the oven for a further 5 minutes.
9.    Exact cooking times depend on the thickness of the cod, so check after 3 minutes – Cod should still have a ‘wet’ appearance and if you break open the flesh it should have a pearl like look when ready to eat, and as it continues to cook once removed from the oven remove when slightly underdone.
10.    As the cod is cooking drizzle some of the basil oil onto a warmed serving plate and place the roasted vine tomatoes on top, next place the cod at the side and decorate the tomatoes with the saved Basil leaves.
11.    Add a sprinkle of pepper to taste & serve.
12.    Serve with steamed vegetables of your choice such as Broccoli and Carrots with creamed potatoes.