Ingredients

• 50g/2oz unsalted butter
• 100g/3½oz spinach
• washed and dried
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 5 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp grated hard cheese
• such as parmesan
• olive oil
• for frying
• 4 thick cod fillets
• 50g/2oz unsalted butter
• 2 shallots
• finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• finely chopped
• 200ml/7fl oz white wine
• 200ml/7fl oz fish stock
• 200ml/7fl oz double cream
• 2 bulbs fennel
• finely sliced
• 2 carrots
• thinly sliced at an angle
• ½ cucumber
• finely sliced
• ½ red onion
• finely chopped
• ½ bunch fresh dill
• finely chopped
• 1 lemon
• juice only
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 220C/450F/Gas 7.
• For the cod
• heat a frying pan until hot
• add half the butter and all the spinach. Cook until the spinach is just wilted. Transfer the spinach to a colander and press remove any excess water. Allow to cool slightly and chop finely.
• In a bowl mix the chopped spinach with the parsley
• breadcrumbs and grated cheese.
• Heat a large ovenproof frying pan and add the remaining butter. When the butter has melted
• add the cod
• skin-side down. Fry for 2-3 minutes
• or until the skin is crisp.
• Top the cod with the spinach and breadcrumb mixture
• and place in the oven for 5-7 minutes.
• For the white wine sauce
• heat a frying pan and add the butter. Once melted add the shallots and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further two minutes. Pour in the wine and stock
• then bring to the boil. Cook until the volume of the liquid has reduced by half. Remove from the heat and stir through the cream.
• For the fennel salad
• mix the fennel
• carrots
• cucumber
• red onion
• dill and lemon juice in a bowl until well combined. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
• To serve
• divide the fennel salad between four serving plates and place a fillet of cod on top. Pour the white wine sauce over the cod.