Pan Roasted Cod with Proscuitto and Fennel

Hi, my name’s Debs. And I eat rainbows. In the form of pan roasted cod with the prosciutto and fennel, and baby peppers, with radishes. With the last of the blood oranges, cherry tomatoes and lots ‘o spinach.

So, we all know that we need to eat more fish, right? So why don’t we? Why are we more likely to reach for the chicken in the supermarket? Why not fish? These are the questions that I asked myself when I started creating this recipe for pan roasted cod with the prosciutto and fennel. 

As I asked the non chef people I know, the same issue kept coming up. Many people are nervous to cook fish for fear of doing it wrong. Fear of the fish coming out dry and inedible. So, I’ve got some fish cooking tips, as well as this awesome pan roasted cod recipe today.

Firstly, the fish cooking tips.

How to Pan Roast Cod:

1. Always use a non stick skillet to when cooking your fish on the stove top. I like this was of cooking fish because I can see what’s going on. It’s perfectly okay to roast fish in the oven, but we’re usually talking about a larger piece of fish that won’t fit in a pan. Often it’s a side of salmon or other large fish that needs to be oven roasted on a tray. But, in the interest of showing you both ways, I’ve just decided that next week, we’ll be oven roasting some fish and you can see what I mean.
2. You need less oil than you think you do. A tablespoon of olive oil in your non stick pan ought to do it. A non stick pan will prevent the fish from sticking, but the oil is what transfers the heat and creates a connection with the pan.
3. When it comes time to flip the fish over, don’t force it. Use a small spatula to gently try and lift a corner of the fish from the pan. If it stays stuck, it’s not ready to flip. When the proteins firm up enough, they will just release from the pan and you
4. will be able to slide a spatula underneath and flip that fish like a pro.

Armed with those top tips, you should totally try this recipe this week. As a weight watcher, this dinner is a dream because it’s super high in protein, so you’re gonna feel full, but I’ve made it low carb for us. Insert fist pump right here →??.

So, now that we’ve decided what we’re gonna eat and that fact that we’re gonna cook it in a pan, should we talk about how long it takes. It takes 25 minutes, guys! My new found mission in life is to get us all eating amazing dinners… in a super fast time frame. Super fast being an actual unit of time keeping. Hmmm, just in my world? K. With spring on it’s way in the northern hemisphere, I figure we’ll want to get out and sun worship for as much time as possible while it starts to stay light so much later. Because some of us have got pale skin that looks like it hasn’t seen the sun in years and we wanna work on that sun kissed glow because it’s just been so darn long since we’ve felt that golden warmth on our pasty faces!

So this fish gets pan roasted with some olive oil, but gets finished cooking in some chicken stock to keep it moist. So there ya go. No dry fish. And lots of sun kissed evenings are in our future!

Pan Roasted Cod with Proscuitto and Fennel

Debs

Succulent pan roasted cod with crispy, salty proscuitto and fresh blood orange or grapefruit to bring it all together. And a Popeye size serving of spinach.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Servings 2

Calories 358 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 2 boneless skinless cod fillets
• 2 slices prosciutto
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 head of fennel
• 2 handfuls of spinach or kale
• 250 ml no salt chicken broth 1 cup
• 5 cherry tomatoes quartered
• 4 mini bell peppers cut in half
• 4 radish finely sliced or shaved on a mandolin
• 1 blood orange or regular orange

Instructions

 

• In a nonstick skillet add one Tbsp of olive oil and place over a medium heat.
• Add the prosciutto to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes per side or until golden and crispy.
• Place on a piece of kitchen paper and leave to one side.
• Place the cod in the pan presentation side down first.
• Cook for about 4 minutes. Remove from the pan and place on a plate. *The cod will not be cooked though.
• Add the fennel to the pan and roast for a few minutes until they start to colour and turn golden.
• Add the chicken broth and bring up to a simmer. Leave to simmer for about 5 minutes or until the fennel is becoming tender.
• Place the cod in the centre of the pan and cover for about 5 minutes.
• Squeeze the juice from half the blood orange into the pan. Reserve the other half for serving.
• Add the spinach to the pan and cover until spinach is wilted.
• Place the spinach in the bottom of a bowl, place the fennel on top and then the cod.
• Surround the cod with the tomatoes, peppers and radish. Serve with the rest of the blood orange in wedges.
• Makes 2.