Herb Crusted Cod With Creamy Beans & Watercress Pesto

Heat oven to 200°C. Blitz pitta into breadcrumbs, then heat 1 tbsp oil in a small frying pan. Add the breadcrumbs and toast until crisp. Finely chop the parsley and zest the lemon. Mix half of the parsley and the zest of 1 lemon through the breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper.

Start making the pesto. Finely chop the watercress and smoked almonds before grating one clove of garlic. Combine with the zest and juice of the zested lemon and mix together with 6 tbsp olive oil until it’s all combined but still a bit chunky. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Alternatively, you can use a pestle and mortar.

Take your cod fillets and place on a foil-lined baking tray. Scatter the breadcrumbs over the fish and pack it down evenly to create a crust. Transfer the tray to the oven and cook fish for 12-15 min, until the fish is cooked through.

For the beans, roughly chop 3 garlic cloves. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan over a medium-low heat and add the garlic, cook for around 2 min. Chuck in your beans along with the liquid from the cans – then simmer for around 5-10 mins, until thickened. Stir through the yoghurt, remaining parsley and juice of 1 lemon. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Serve the creamy beans drizzled with pesto and topped with the cod.