Fresh cod with tomato and fines herbes

Cod cooked with tomatoes and fines herbes is a dish that almost resembles cod à la Portuguese but with a more intensive sauce which puts it into the class of haute cuisine.

Preparation Time: 20 Mins

Cooking Time: 30 Mins

Total Time: 50 Mins

Ingredients

For 6 servings…

6                    Shallots  - sliced thinly

70 gms            Butter       

4                    Tomatoes  - chopped

1 pinch            Thyme  - dried        

½                   Bay leaf     

6 steaks           Cod         

1 bottle           Wine  - dry white     

                      Pepper      

                      Salt          

2 tbs               Crème fraîche          

1 tbs               Parsley  - chopped    

1 tbs               Tarragon  - chopped 

1 tbs               Chervil  - chopped    

1 tbs               Chives  - chopped    

1                    Lemon  - juice of      

Method

Fry the shallots gently in the butter until transparent, then transfer to a large ovenproof dish.  Spread out the shallot and put the tomato on top.  Add the thyme and bay leaf.  Place the cod steaks on top, in a single layer.  Pour on the white wine and season with salt and pepper.

Place in a hot oven (200°C).  When the liquid starts to boil, turn off the oven and leave the dish inside for a further 6-7 minutes.

Take the dish out from the oven, remove the cod steaks and keep them warm.  Pour the cooking liquid into a saucepan and reduce by half over a high heat, then strain through a fine sieve, pressing hard.   Mix the crème fraîche with the sauce.  Put the cod steaks back in the dish and pour the sauce over the fish.  Heat in the oven, then sprinkle with plenty of fines herbes (parsley, tarragon, chervil and chives), add the lemon juice and serve immediately.

Wine recommendations

Conventional

     Mâcon

Interesting

     Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur lie

     Quincy

     Riesling