Cod that poaches in its own side dish

Name: Cod that poaches in its own side dish
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 × 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed; 1 × 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, fire-roasted; 1 × 13.5 oz can coconut milk; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp chili powder; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 2 cod fillets (or any flaky white fish); 2 limes, one juiced and one cut into wedges; 2 handfuls baby spinach; cilantro, chopped, half in and half over; olive oil, salt, pepper

The fish never meets the pan. It settles into the chickpeas, the lid goes on, and eight minutes later it is done.

At a Glance

Time

35 min

Adjust servings

Story

Almost nobody cooks fish at home and the reason is always the same, which is the moment you have to judge a hot pan with a delicate thing in it. This removes that moment entirely. The cod sits down into a stew that is already finished, the lid goes on, and the residual heat poaches it. There is no browning to time, no flipping and no window in which you ruin it.

Ingredients

2 × 15 oz can chickpeasdrained and rinsed
1 × 14.5 oz can diced tomatoesfire-roasted
1 × 13.5 oz can coconut milk
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 cod filletsor any flaky white fish
2 limesone juiced and one cut into wedges
2 handfuls baby spinach
cilantrochopped, half in and half over
olive oilsalt, pepper

Method

Adapted from a Caroline Chambers recipe, which was itself chasing an Ottolenghi curried lentil, tomato and coconut soup. Three cooks deep and it still tastes like the first one.

The chickpeas are not a bed. Smash some of them against the pan and they thicken the whole thing into something that holds the fish up.

Tip the chickpeas, tomatoes and coconut milk into a large skillet with the cumin, chili powder, turmeric and a proper 1½ teaspoons salt. Squeeze in the juice of one lime.
Bring it to the boil, then down to medium and cook 15 to 20 minutes, stirred whenever you pass, until it is a stew and not a soup.
Crush some of the chickpeas against the side of the pan with a spoon. Stir in the spinach, tearing it as it goes, and half the cilantro. 2 to 3 minutes, until wilted.
Push the cod down into the chickpeas so the sides are covered and the tops stay exposed. Oil over them, a big pinch of salt and pepper each. Heat to low, cover and leave it 6 to 8 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes.
The rest of the cilantro over, lime wedges alongside.