Parmesan Fish with Courgette and Chilli

With December being such a big month for overindulging in the richest of foods, we thought this light fish dish was the perfect contrast to all those celebratory Christmas meals.

Serves 4

100g breadcrumbs

75g aged parmesan, finely grated

Salt and black pepper

4 x 160-180g loin fillets of sustainably sourced white fish (the thicker the better), skin removed

Flour, for dusting

1 egg, beaten

3-4 courgettes (yellow, white, round or green)

Olive oil

100g unsalted butter

1 large or 2 small red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

2 tsp fresh oregano leaves

Juice of ½ a lemon

1 Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Mix the breadcrumbs and parmesan together. Season the cod fillets, then roll lightly in the flour to coat, shaking off any excess. Next roll the fillets in the egg, and then finally the breadcrumb and parmesan mix. Ensure that the fillets are evenly and well coated. Transfer them to the fridge for at least 20 minutes to set.

2 Cut the courgettes in half lengthwise and remove the seeds, then slice the courgettes finely with a very sharp knife.

3 Oil a non-stick baking tray and lay out the cod fillets, season again and place in the oven to cook through and brown the crust. This should take about 16-20 minutes and you’ll need to turn the cod once during cooking.

4 While the cod is cooking, heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and add a lug of olive oil along with the butter. When it starts to foam, add the courgettes and season well.

5 Gently cook the courgettes without colouring until just tender – this will only take a few minutes. Remove from the heat and add the chilli, oregano and the lemon juice. Let the courgettes rest, then serve with the cod.