citrus coriander baked fish

 citrus coriander baked fish, baby new 
potato chili coriander hash

i spent this week catching up with nigel slater's simple cooking on bbc one. watching his shows or reading his cookery books always inspire creativity in my kitchen so today, i explored a spicy and cool marriage by putting together a citrus coriander baked fish. o said that the fish had a distinctly thai flavour. i used medium smoked cod fillets and served the baked fish with a baby new potato red chili and coriander hash. 

{citrus coriander baked fish}

two smoked cod fillets (medium thickness)

five hundred grams baby new potatoes

ingredients for the marinade for the fish

zest and juice of two oranges

a small bunch of coriander

one stalk fresh lemon grass, cut into small pieces

a tablespoon of olive oil

sea salt

ingredients for the coriander sauce for the potato hash

a small bunch of coriander

two tablespoons of olive oil

water, as needed whizz in the processor

a red chili, sliced very thin

whizz together all the ingredients to make the marinade for the fish. 

pour the marinade into a shallow oven proof dish and place the fillets in it. 

make shallow incisions with a knife on top, spoon some marinade onto the top of the fish 
finish with a sprinkle of sea salt. 

let the fish sit in the marinade for at least an hour.

when you are ready to cook the fish preheat the oven to a hundred and eighty degrees celsius. seal the oven proof dish with foil and place in the oven for twenty minutes. after the twenty minutes remove the foil cover and let the fish sit under the grill for seven minutes just so that the edges colour slightly. 

the chilli coriander potato hash was very simple to make. i boiled the new potatoes in salted water and then mashed them slightly with the back of a wooden spoon. you want them to retain a bit of texture. then stir in the coriander sauce and thinly sliced chili and mix together. i used a ramekin to mould the potatoes into a little shapely mound. i placed the fillets on top of the potato mound and then spooned the marinade around it. 

o really liked his supper and has already told me he wants me to make it again. i am now inspired to try creating a marinade with sub-continental flavours like cumin and coriander cut through with lemon juice and zest. i have to say that i was content with the final outcome. i wish i had reserved some coriander leaves to add a sprightly garnish. the chili added a really nice heat and i think it may be nice to whizz a green chili in the marinade next time. you could if you wanted to serve the fish on a bed of jasmine rice. i am thinking next week i might try this recipe with some salmon fillets adding a little honey to give the salmon a sticky glaze.