Cod With Chickpeas And Sherry Food

HONEYED HARISSA COD WITH CRISPY CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Pat the chickpeas dry with kitchen paper, and tip into a small roasting tin with the oil. Season well and toss together. Cook for 15 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the chickpeas start to crisp up and split.
• Mix the runny honey, harissa, garlic and ginger in a small bowl. Season the fish with salt and pepper, and add to the chickpeas in the roasting tin. Spoon over most of the dressing and bake for another 6-8 mins until the fish is flaky when pressed, and cooked through.
• While the fish is baking, cook the beans in boiling salted water for 4-6 mins until just tender. Serve over the chickpeas alongside the fish, with the remaining harissa-honey dressing on the side to serve.

CURRIED COD

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large, lidded frying pan. Cook the onion over a high heat for a few mins, then stir in the curry powder, ginger and garlic. Cook for another 1-2 mins until fragrant, then stir in the tomatoes, chickpeas and some seasoning.
• Cook for 8-10 mins until thickened slightly, then top with the cod. Cover and cook for another 5-10 mins until the fish is cooked through. Scatter over the lemon zest and coriander, then serve with the lemon wedges to squeeze over.

BRAISED COD WITH CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• If canned chickpeas are used, rinse and drain them. Combine the cooked or canned chickpeas in a saucepan with the garlic, peppers or flakes, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, and 1/4 cup of water. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Remove and discard the whole peppers, if you used them. Add the cumin to the chickpeas and spread half the mixture in the bottom of a 9-inch-square baking dish. Place the fish on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and finish with the remaining chickpeas. Drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the top. Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the fish is just flaky but not falling apart; check after 20 minutes.
• Serve the fish hot or warm, garnished with cilantro or parsley and lemon wedges.

SALT COD, POTATO AND CHICKPEA STEW

Steps:

• Rinse salt cod, then place in a bowl of cold water and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Change water every 2 hours if possible. (If desired, fully soaked cod may be refrigerated, drained and wrapped in plastic for up to 2 days.) Also put chickpeas in a bowl and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Leave to soak 8 hours or overnight.
• The next day, drain cod, chop it into 1-inch chunks, put it in a bowl and set aside. Put chickpeas and soaking water in a large pot over high heat. Add clove-stuck onion and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Skim foam, turn down heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, until tender. Halfway through cooking, add 2 teaspoons salt. Turn off heat and leave chickpeas in their broth until ready to use. (Chickpeas may be cooked several hours ahead or even a day in advance if desired.)
• Make the stew: In a heavy soup pot, warm olive oil over high heat. Add diced onion and let sizzle, then reduce heat and cook until softened, stirring, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, saffron, pimentón and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Add wine and bring to a brisk simmer. Drain chickpeas, reserving 6 cups of the broth. Add the broth and potatoes to the pot, cover and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Ladle about 2 cups of the stew's liquid over the salt cod pieces and let steep for 10 minutes (the fish will cook while steeping), then pour this mixture into the pot. Add the clams and reserved chickpeas to the pot and simmer, covered, until clams open, 5 to 7 minutes. To serve, stir in the cilantro and ladle the stew into big bowls.

COD WITH CHICKPEAS AND SHERRY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300°F. Put 1 tablespoon of the oil in a nonstick skillet large enough to hold the cod in one layer (cook in batches if necessary, but undercook the first batch by about a minute, as it will remain in the oven longer); turn the heat to medium-high. When the oil is hot, add the fish, shiny side (where the skin was) up. Cook, undisturbed, for about 5 minutes, or until the cooked side is evenly browned. Turn the fish onto an ovenproof plate, browned side up, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and put it in the oven.
• Immediately add the chickpeas (with about 1 cup of their cooking liquid) to the skillet and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add all but 2 tablespoons of the sherry and raise the heat to high. Cook, shaking the pan now and then, until the liquid is all but evaporated and the chickpeas are beginning to brown. Stir in the garlic along with some salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally; stir in the remaining olive oil and sherry.
• By this time the fish will be done. (If it is not, hold the chickpeas over low heat until it is.) Serve it on top of the chickpeas, garnished with the parsley if you like.