Mains

Cod with Morcilla

I like this dish as the lightness of the cod complements the richness of the morcilla, while the chickpeas bulk it out. Cod can be expensive, so haddock can substitute, although it has a tendency to disintegrate in the pan. There's a wide range of sausage from Spain and Portugal. I tend to buy Portuguese morcilla, as it's readily available in Brazilian/Portuguese supermarkets. There is also chouriço, which looks similar, but has more paprika or even red wine in some. varieties.

I like this dish as the lightness of the cod complements the richness of the morcilla, while the chickpeas bulk it out. Cod can be expensive, so haddock can substitute, although it has a tendency to disintegrate in the pan. There’s a wide range of sausage from Spain and Portugal. I tend to buy Portuguese morcilla, as it’s readily available in Brazilian/Portuguese supermarkets. There is also chouriço, which looks similar, but has more paprika or even red wine in some. varieties.

Method

  1. Fry the morcilla slices in a little olive oil over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove and set aside.
  2. In the same pan, soften the onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Add the paprika and saffron and stir for 30 seconds.
  3. Add the chickpeas and liquid.
  4. Nestle the cod fillets skin-side up. Cover and cook on low-medium heat for 10–12 minutes until just cooked through.
  5. Return the morcilla to the pan, crisp up under the grill, scatter with parsley, and serve directly from the pan.

Ingredients

  • 4 thick cod fillets (skin on)
  • 150g morcilla (or black pudding), sliced 1cm thick
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 tin of chickpeas
  • 1 red onion, finely sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 200ml fish stock, chicken stock or white wine
  • 1 tsp saffron
  • 1 tbsp paprika - smoked or sweet, according to taste
  • Handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  • Olive oil
  • Salt & black pepper

Hints & Tips

  • Don’t overcook the cod — it should just flake apart. Check at 10 minutes.
  • Chouriço / chorizo works as a substitute if morcilla is hard to find, though the flavour is quite different.