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Auntie Charlotte’s Thai cod and banana soup
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 4 cod filets, around 160g each, skin on
- groundnut oil, for frying
For the cod and banana soup
- 1tbsp groundnut oil
- 50g spring onions, including the green shoots, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 large bananas, sliced
- 1 large red chilli, deseeded and sliced
- 2tsp Thai fish sauce
- ½tsp caster sugar
- 200ml coconut milk
- 200ml good-quality vegetable stock
To Serve
- 1 banana
- 1 green chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
- 1 spring onion, thinly sliced at an angle
- coriander leaves
- 1 lime, halved
Method
First make the soup, which can be stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to 1 day. Heat a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium-to-high heat, then add the oil. When hot, add the spring onions and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the banana, chilli, fish sauce and sugar, and season with salt. Continue sautéing for a further minute, then stir in the coconut milk and vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 5 minutes.
Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth. Pass the soup through a fine sieve and leave to cool completely. Refrigerate if you won't be using it immediately.When you’re ready to cook the fish, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Pat the cod fillets dry and season with salt.Heat an ovenproof sauté or frying pan over a medium-to-high heat, then add a splash of oil. When it is hot, add the cod, skin-side down, and fry for 2 minutes.
Put the pan in the oven and roast the cod for 5 minutes, then turn the fish over and roast for a final minute, or until the flesh flakes easily. To finish, reheat the soup and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Thinly slice the uncooked banana just before serving. Divide the soup among four bowls and add a cod filet to each.
Garnish with the banana slices, chilli, spring onion and coriander. Add a squeeze of lime to each bowl and serve.
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