Grilled Cod with Chilli & Herb Dressing & Skin-On Chips
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Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 30-35 mins
Whip up a fresh herb salsa made with mint, parsley, lemon, garlic and chilli to add a refreshing, fiery flavour to flaky fillets of sustainable cod, and serve with chunky homemade chips.
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358 kcal
(per portion)
Ingredients you'll need
From your kitchen
  • 3 tsp olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
Step by step this way
  • 1.

    Heat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Scrub the potatoes and slice them into chips around 1cm across. Pop them on the baking tray, drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and toss to coat the potatoes in the oil and seasoning.

  • 2.

    Make sure the chips are spread out on the tray, then slide into the oven and bake for 30-35 mins till the chips are golden brown and tender.

  • 3.

    While the chips bake, make the chilli herb dressing. Finely grate the lemon zest into a small bowl. Peel the garlic clove and very finely chop it (as finely as you can). Stir into the lemon zest. Halve the chilli and scoop the white pith and seeds out. Finely chop the chilli - just use half for a less spicy dressing. Add the chilli to the bowl.

  • 4.

    Pick the mint leaves off the sprigs. Put the mint leaves on your chopping board with the parsley (leaves and stalk) and, placing the tip of your knife on the board over the herbs and using a rocking motion, finely chop the herbs. Stir them into the bowl with a little pinch of salt and pepper. This is your dressing.

  • 5.

    Pick any really thick stalk out of the watercress and put the tender shoots and leaves in a large bowl. Peel the skin off the short cucumber (it can be bitter), then peel the cucumber into ribbons. Turn the cucumber to peel down both sides and once you get to seeded core, finely slice the core. Add the cucumner ribbons to the watercress.

  • 6.

    The chips should be 5-10 mins away from being cooked by now. Heat your grill to high (if your grill isn't separate to your oven, see our tip below on how to cook your fish). Line your grill pan or a baking tray with foil. Brush the whiting fillets with 1 tsp oil each and lay the on the foil-lined tray. Season with a little salt and pepper.

  • 7.

    Grill the whiting for 6-8 mins till opaque and flakes easily when pressed with the fork. While the fish grills, dress the watercress salad with a squeeze of lemon juice from the zested lemon and a pinch of salt and pepper.

  • 8.

    Serve the grilled whiting with the chips, the watercress salad and the herb dressing spooned over the top. Pop a wedge of lemon on the side of the plate for squeezing over the fish.

  • Tip

    How grilling
    If you have a combined oven and grill, then cook your chips till they are golden and tender, then tip them into a heatproof bowl and loosely cover with foil. Move them down to the bottom of your oven, set the grill to high and grill the whiting. The chips should stay warm at the bottom of the oven.

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