Serves 4 | Prep 20 minutes | Cook 20 minutes
B12 BOOSTER / Anti-Oxidant Rich
I am not normally one to go for fish, I have a strange fear of the sea that extends to fish being on plates. However, this is not fishy in the slightest and I found myself sharing the last fish parcel with a friend the first time I made it. I served mine with sweet potato chips, and had a pot of the left over pesto on the side (like a more refined version of mushy peas, perhaps), and had a posh fish and chips night.
COD- For every 113g of cod you eat, you are receiving the following of the recommended daily intake; 109% B12, 88% iodine (great anti-oxidant stimulant, thus boosting the immune system), 57% selenium (HIV can deplete someone’s antioxidant / selenium resources so Cod makes a great natural way of boosting levels back up), 55% phosphorous, 42% protein, 21% choline (liver protector)- to name the highest. (SOURCE : http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=133 ).
INGREDIENTS.
One batch of artichoke & pistachio pesto
4 pieces of cod (either fillet or tail-end will work)
12 slices of pancetta
few springs of thyme, leaves removed
Olive oil
METHOD.
Preheat your oven to 220c / 200c (fan) / Gas Mark 7
- If you are using a fillet, then using a sharp knife make an incision in it’s thickest part and slice horizontally to create a pocket (just as if you were stuffing a chicken breast), and stuff with a tablespoon or so of the pesto.
- If you are using the tail end (this is what I used) then have where the skin used to be side up, place a tablespoon or so of the pesto on the fish and fold one half of the fish on top of itself sandwiching the pesto.
- Wrap each now stuffed fish in 2-3 slices of pancetta (depends how big your slices are) and place in an oven-proof baking dish.
- Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle a few thyme leaves on top.
- Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, at this point you could choose to pan fry the fish parcels in order to get a bit of crisp on the outside.
- Serve with a pot of remaining pesto on the side, or alternatively keep leftover pesto in the fridge to use with pasta the following day.
