Kinda Cod in Tomato Sauce
WITH WHITE WINE AND OLIVES
It seems like every year after you turn 20, someone’s jetting off to Italy or Japan. Meanwhile, I remain in place, all grown up and trying to save money so as not to die in this cupboard apartment I currently call home. So yeah—big internash travel is off the table. But to fight the FOMO and still do some soul-searching, I practice taste bud travel. Southeast Asia, Mexico, Denmark, you name it, I’ve probably been there (in my mind’s tummy, at least). And this aromatic, passion-coloured dish? It transports me straight to the coast of Italy on a hot summer evening. I’m talking tomatoes mingling with garlic, slowly bubbling away in a sea of white wine, laced with sprigs of fresh thyme and basil. Paired with a flaky, plant-based white fish, this meal is the perfect Mediterranean bread dunking dalliance. But you can also involve creamy polenta or chewy pasta. Your call. It's your vacation.
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce
- 1 medium-sized onion (finely chopped)
- 4 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 6 basil leaves or ½ tsp dried basil
- 3 thyme sprigs or ½ tsp dried thyme
- 500 g cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 100 g olives of your choice (pitted)
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 200 ml of water
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
Kinda Cod
- 2 Kinda Cod filets
- 1 tbsp olive oil
SERVES 2 / 30 MINUTES
preparation
Tomato Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a medium-sized pan over medium heat.
- Add chopped onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add crushed garlic, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
- Once the garlic is slightly browned, add chili flakes, basil, and thyme. Cook for 30 seconds to a minute.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant and slightly caramelised.
- Add the halved tomatoes and pitted olives. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine and water.
- Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Kinda Cod
- While the sauce is cooking, pan-fry Kinda Cod filets.
- Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
- Add the filets and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until nicely browned.
- Remove from the pan and nestle in the sauce.
- Drizzle with extra olive oil, and sprinkle with fresh basil and thyme.
- Serve with your favorite pasta or crusty bread.