- 2 red pepper
- 2 fennel bulb
- 2 red onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 200g rocket
- 70g walnuts
- 2 orange
- 1-1 tsp harissa paste
- 300g wholewheat couscous
- 4 cod fillets
- 2 lime
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Large baking tray or roasting tin
- 1.
Heat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Halve the red pepper and scoop out the seeds and pith. Chop into 2cm pieces. Trim the dry ends off the fennel and chop it into pieces to match the pepper. Peel the red onion and thickly slice it.
- 2.
Spread all the veg out on a large baking tray or in a big roasting tin. Drizzle over 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss together. Drop on 1 unpeeled garlic clove, then slide into the oven and roast for 20 mins.
- 3.
While the veg roast, make the pesto. Finely chop a quarter of the rocket and pop it into a medium bowl. Finely chop the walnut halves. Peel and grate the remaining garlic clove into the bowl. Zest in the orange and squeeze in the juice from 1 half. Add 1 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp harissa paste (harissa is spicy, so start by adding a little ), and a good pinch of salt. Mix well, taste and add a little more harissa if you want an extra kick of heat. Set the pesto aside.
- 4.
Tip the couscous into a large bowl. Pour over enough boiling water to cover it by 1cm. Cover with a plate and leave to soak – the couscous will absorb the water and become tender.
- 5.
When the veg has roasted for 20 mins, remove them from the oven. Lift out the garlic clove. Make a gap in the centre of the veg. Place the cod fillets in the gap, skin-side down. Spoon some of the pesto over the cod, covering it thickly – you won’t need all of the pesto for this.
- 6.
Slide the veg and pesto-crusted cod back into the oven for 10-12 mins. The cod should be opaque and flake when pressed with a fork. If not, cook for a couple mins more.
- 7.
While the cod and veg cook, juice the lime and the remaining orange half into a small bowl. Squeeze the roast garlic from its skin and mash with the back of a knife. Mix the citrus juice with the garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper to make a dressing. Roughly chop the remaining rocket.
- 8.
Remove the cod and veg from the oven. Lift the cod off the tray and onto a couple of warm plates. Add the roast veg and chopped rocket to the couscous. Pour in the garlicky citrus dressing and fold together. Serve the cod with the veggie couscous on the side.
- Tip
Best pesto
You'll have more pesto than you need to top the fish fillets. You can serve the extra on the side, or store it in the fridge for a day or two. Try tossing it with boiled potatoes and a splash of olive oil, or spreading it over chicken breasts or lamb chops before grilling.