Recipe: Spanish-Inspired Chorizo Crusted Fish

It’s now getting to that time of year where I’m craving lighter food, sunnier flavours, yet still wanting needing warming comfort food as it’s just so damn cold. My answer to this is usually to head towards Spain; the chorizo sausage is not only my sandwich meat of choice (see my filming for Aldi for more info on that!) but pretty much a fridge staple for me at this time of year. Adding a comforting but vibrant flavor to pretty much everything, it works in lighter dishes such as omelettes, adds a twist to a comforting classic pie, and crumbled on pizza? Yum.

Then there’s this recipe. Adapted from the Hairy Bikers to consider a tight student budget (one that was already splurging out on fish) this turned out a whole lot better than expected. I rarely cook fish because (1) money, and (2) when it goes wrong, it goes very wrong. I’ve had many a piece of dry, overcooked fish and it’s nearly put me off for life. This though I reckon is pretty foolproof. The chorizo crumb both protects and bastes the fish whilst it cooks, adding flavor and texture too.

We served this with garlic roast potatoes (I’m planning one of my ‘How to Cook‘ posts on potatoes soon!), veg and charred broccoli – trust me, it’s far tastier than it looks!

This recipe definitely tasted far sunnier than most of the recipes I’ve been cooking lately, whilst still feeling relatively comforting. It doesn’t hurt that it wasn’t too unhealthy either! The Spanish flavours work really well with the fish, and the chorizo crumb is something I really want to experiment with more. A topping for a really indulgent Mac’n’Cheese perhaps…?!

Ingredients (for 2, with some crumb mixture leftover)

• 2 thick fillets of fish, around 150g is a good weight
• 1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice (from a bottle is fine)
• 50g chorizo sausage
• 1 slice of bread, or 1 small roll, around 50g
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp finely grated cheese

Pop the fish in a dish, and sprinkle with the lime/lemon. Pop in the fridge to marinade whilst you prep the crumb mixture. Cube the chorizo and pop into a dry frying pan over a low heat until the fat starts to release. Add the bread (torn into small pieces) and toss together until covered in the chorizo oil. Turn off the heat and allow to cool.

Once cool, tip into a food processor (I use my trusty mini chopper – which unfortunately now leaks when used with liquids) along with the garlic and cheese. Add plenty of black pepper and blitz to form crumbs. Add the fish and marinating juices to a lightly oiled baking dish, top with the crumb mixture (I found pressing it on with my hands to be the easiest) and bake at 190C for 15-20 minutes. Serve with plenty of veg.

The leftover crumb mixture keeps well in the fridge for a few days, just crisp up in a dry pan before using. I loved using it to top my Sweet Potato & Pepper Soup, whilst W enjoyed it stirred through pasta with some extra cheese. I can imagine it being a great coating for ‘fried’ chicken too – yum!

Disclaimer: I worked alongside Alpharooms to create this recipe, though as always all opinions are my own!

Do you shy away from cooking fish? Any good and easy recipes to share?