Mary cooked this fish tagine from a recipe by Samantha and Samuel Clark. Tagine is not only the name of the Moroccan stew but also the earthenware dish in which it’s cooked. Any white fish is suitable for this recipe – this one was made with rockling, a firm white fish that holds it’s shape well.
In a food processor blitz 3 tablespoons of olive oil with 2 banana shallots, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 heaped teaspoon of preserved lemon rind, 1½ heaped teapoons of ground cumin, ½ a teaspoon of paprika, 2 tablespoons of finely chopped coriander (cilantro) and 200g (7 oz) of cherry tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a wide, deep pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add 200g (7 oz) of small waxy potatoes cut into slices, cover and bring to a simmer over a medium to high heat. Cook for 5 minutes before adding enough fish for 4 plus 200g (3½ oz) of frozen baby peas. Cover again and cook for a further 5-8 minutes until the fish is just cooked through. Remove from the heat, turn the fish over and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Check for seasoning and serve garnished with coriander leaves and drizzled with some good quality olive oil. Make sure you have some lemon wedges available.
michelle picker cooks 