Roast Wild Pacific Cod on Puy Lentils
Ingredients
• 300g (10oz) butternut squash, cut into 2cm (¾ inch) cubes
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 red onion, sliced into wedges
• 1 leek, sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 150g (6oz) puy lentils, rinsed and drained
• 2 tsp vegetable stock powder (or ½ vegetable stock cube)
• 100g (4oz) sun-blush tomatoes in olive oil, roughly chopped
• 2 x 100-150g (4-6oz) fillets wild Pacific cod
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C / fan oven 180°C / Gas Mark 6.
Put the butternut squash, carrots, red onion and leek into a roasting pan. Add the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss together. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, put the lentils into a saucepan and cover them with twice their volume of water. Add the stock powder or cube, bring up to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Drain well.
Add the lentils and sun-blush tomatoes to the roasted vegetables, stirring them through gently. Arrange the cod fillets on top and drizzle them with a little olive oil (use oil from the jar of sun-blush tomatoes to give them extra flavour). Cover the roasting pan with a piece of foil and return to the oven to bake for a further 12-15 minutes, or until the fish is cooked. The flesh will be opaque and should flake easily when tested with a fork. Serve.
Cook’s tips: Serve with a dressed green salad and plenty of fresh, crusty bread. You can prepare ahead up to the point where the fish is arranged on top – then just cover with foil and refrigerate. Remember to cook for a little longer to ensure that everything is piping hot.
