Murray cod with charred herb salsa & lemon

Chef Joel Bennetts is so passionate about pizza ovens - he fires his up four times a week! With his expertise, he's mastered the art of cooking fish in them and shares his pearls of wisdom in this Murray cod recipe. As a bonus, the intense heat of the pizza oven is ideal for charring herbs and spring onion, to make a smoky and herbaceous dish to compliment the fish.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  2

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  7 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

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25m

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episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

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Ingredients

• 2 x 300 g Murray cod fillets, skin-on
• 1 bunch spring onions
• 1 small bunch coriander
• 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley
• Olive oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tbsp for the salsa
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 – 2 eschallots, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp capers (Lilliput)
• 2 anchovy fillets, mashed
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Chilli flakes, to taste (optional)
• 1 lemon, juiced and finely zested, plus extra cheeks to serve
  

Instructions

1. Preheat the pizza oven. Use paper towels to dry the fish fillets well, this will help ensure crispy skin during the cooking process.
   
2. Generously drizzle the spring onion and herbs with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place them directly on the grill and allow them to colour and char, taking caution to avoid singing or burning all the way through.
   
3. Once charred, remove the spring onions and herbs from the pizza oven and allow to cool slightly. Once cooled, finely chop, then combine in a medium bowl with the eschallots, capers, mashed anchovies, 2 tbsp olive oil, mustard, a pinch of chilli flakes (if using) and the lemon juice and zest. Mix well to combine and set aside.
   
4. Season the fish fillets well on both sides with salt, then place into a cast-iron skillet or non-stick pan, skin-side down. Top with a fish or burger weight to prevent the fillet from curling up as it cooks. Cook for around 7 minutes, rotating every minute.
   
5. Remove the fish weight and flip the fillet. Allow to cook for a further minute, or until the fish is cooked through and the skin is crisp.
   
6. Remove the cooked fish fillet to a wire rack and brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Serve the Murray cod with the charred herb salsa and lemon cheeks.

Note

• If you don’t have a pizza oven, heat your cast iron skillet or frying pan over high heat. Add a small drizzle of olive oil and cook the fish skin-side down, using the fish weight. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for a further 6-7 minutes, then flip and cook for a further minute. Remove from the heat, allow to rest and season with extra salt before serving.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Brunch at Mine

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G