José Pizarro's stunning fried cod loin recipe is cooked with a heady pimentón oil for a slightly smoky, spicy flavour, served on a bed of spinach with plump raisins and pine nuts. Curing the cod with salt before cooking results in a slightly firmer texture, ensuring perfectly flaky fish.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Rinse the cod thoroughly to remove the salt, pat dry with kitchen paper and dust all over with flour
2 tbsp of plain flour
3
Heat the light olive oil in an ovenproof pan – not too hot – and add the fish. Cook on the hob for 5 minutes, turning halfway through, until lightly golden. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with kitchen paper
250ml of light olive oil
4
Add the garlic to the oil and fry gently for a minute. Add the pimentón and vinegar and return the fish to the pan. Place in the oven for 5–6 minutes until the fish is just cooked (when it is just opaque and a thin knife inserts without resistance)
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large wok. Add the raisins and pine nuts and cook until golden. Add the spinach and toss the leaves with the other ingredients, seasoning with salt and pepper. The idea is to warm the spinach through – be careful not to overcook it
