Cod with Tomato & Olive Sauce

Ingredients

• 600g cod fillets (4 pieces)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 400g chopped canned tomatoes
• 2 tbsp garlic‑infused olive oil
• 80g pitted green olives, halved
• 1 tbsp capers, rinsed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 10g fresh basil, torn
• 600g baby potatoes, halved
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 100g baby spinach (optional, to serve)
• Crusty bread, to serve
• Green salad, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan (220°C conventional). Toss the halved baby potatoes with olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper and spread cut-side down on a tray; roast for 25–30 minutes until golden underneath and tender right through when pierced with a knife.
2. While the potatoes roast, rub the cod fillets with the lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Set aside on a plate to take on the flavour while you build the sauce.
3. Heat the garlic-infused olive oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped tomatoes, olives, capers and oregano and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly — it should coat the back of a spoon.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding a tiny pinch of sugar if the tomatoes taste sharp. Slide the cod fillets into the pan, spoon the sauce over the top and cover. Simmer very gently for 6–8 minutes until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily — you want the sauce bubbling lazily, not fast-boiling, or the fish will toughen.
5. Stir the torn basil through the sauce off the heat for a fresh green hit. The cod is done when it flakes at the thickest point and feels firm but yielding to the touch.
6. Plate each fillet with the roasted potatoes and a handful of baby spinach alongside. Spoon the tomato and olive sauce generously over the fish so every portion is glossy and saucy, with crusty bread and a green salad on the table to mop up.