Pan-Fried Cod with Crushed Peas and New Potatoes

Ingredients

• 🐟Atlantic Cod, skin on if possible, patted very dry2 fillet
• 🥔Russet Potato, peeled and cut into even chunks300 g
• 🫛Peas, fresh or frozen200 g
• 🥛2% Reduced-Fat Milk, warm60 ml
• 🧈Unsalted Butter, divided30 g
• 🍋Lemon, zested and juiced1
• 🧄Garlic, finely grated or minced1 clove
• 🌿Mint, leaves picked and chopped2 sprig
• 🌿Flat-Leaf Parsley, leaves chopped2 sprig
• 🫒Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for the skillet1 tbsp
• 🧂Sea Salt (fine), for the potato water and seasoningto taste
• 🧂Black Pepper (ground), freshly groundto taste
• 💧Water, for boiling the potatoes and loosening the peas if neededas needed

Contains Celery, Dairy, Fish, Garlic, Mustard, Onion. AI-generated, checked against common allergens; always check labels.

Method

1. 1

   Prepare the potatoes

   Peel the Russet Potato and cut it into even chunks so they cook at the same pace, about the size of a large walnut. If you leave one piece much bigger than the rest, it will stay hard in the centre while the smaller pieces start to break apart, so keep the cuts tidy and similar.

   4 min
2. 2

   Prepare the aromatics

   Zest the Lemon first, then halve it for juicing, and finely mince the Garlic Clove so it melts into the crushed peas instead of leaving sharp bits behind. Chop the Mint and Flat-Leaf Parsley into small flecks; if the leaves bruise and darken, use a lighter touch next time and a sharper knife.

   5 min
3. 3

   Boil the potatoes

   Set a medium saucepan over high heat with the Water and Sea Salt (fine) and bring it to a rolling boil, then add the potato chunks and keep the boil lively for about 12 minutes. They are ready when a knife slips in with almost no resistance and the edges look a little fuzzy, and if the water starts to calm too much, turn the heat up so the potatoes keep moving gently.

   12 min
4. 4

   Cook the peas

   While the potatoes boil, drop the Peas into the same medium saucepan for the last few minutes and cook them until they are bright green and just tender, about 3 minutes. If they look dull olive, they have gone too far, so drain them as soon as the colour deepens and the kitchen smells fresh and sweet rather than starchy.

   3 min
5. 5

   Crush the peas

   Drain the Peas and return them to the warm medium saucepan, then add half the Unsalted Butter, the warm 2% Reduced-Fat Milk, most of the Lemon juice, the Garlic Clove, and half of the chopped Mint and Flat-Leaf Parsley. Crush them roughly with a potato masher for about a minute until some peas burst and the mixture turns chunky and glossy; if it seems stiff, loosen it with a splash of Water rather than mashing it to a paste.

   2 min
6. 6

   Dry and season cod

   Pat the Atlantic Cod very dry with kitchen paper, then season both sides with Sea Salt (fine) and Black Pepper (ground) so the surface is ready to crisp. The flesh should look matte rather than slick; if moisture beads up, dab it again, because wet fish will stick and steam instead of frying cleanly.

   3 min
7. 7

   Fry the cod

   Set a large skillet over medium-high heat with the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the remaining Unsalted Butter, swirling until the butter foams and the oil shimmers. Lay the Atlantic Cod in skin-side down if it has skin, press it flat for a few seconds so the skin makes full contact, then leave it alone for about 4 minutes until the skin is crisp and deep golden and the fish releases cleanly; if it sticks, give it another moment rather than forcing it.

   4 min
8. 8

   Finish the fish

   Flip the Atlantic Cod carefully and cook the second side for about 2 minutes, just until the flesh turns opaque all the way through and flakes at the thickest part when nudged with a fork. If the edges start to curl and dry out, take the skillet off the heat at once; cod moves from perfectly juicy to dry very quickly.

   2 min
9. 9

   Plate and finish

   Spoon the crushed peas onto warm plates, tuck the potatoes beside them, and lay the Atlantic Cod on top or alongside so the crisp skin stays visible. Spoon over any buttery juices from the skillet, finish with the remaining Lemon zest and a little extra Black Pepper (ground), and serve while the fish is still hot and the peas are glossy.

   2 min

Nutrition per serving