Pan-Roast Salt Cod with Bouillabaisse Sauce and Roast Baby Peppers
By M&S Food
Published on 08 September 2025
Salt cod meets a bouillabaisse-style sauce, packed with prawns, sweet peppers and warming spices in Michael Caines' recipe as shown on Cooking with the Stars. Serve it with golden roast baby peppers and layered boulangère potatoes for a proper crowd-pleaser.
Time and servings
1 hr 30 minsTotal time
4Servings
25 minsPrep time
1 hr 5 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 4 x 130g cod fillets, skin off
- 100g sea salt
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, 1 crushed and 2 sliced
- 1 thyme sprig, leaves picked and stalks reserved
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 500ml light chicken stock, hot
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 medium king edward potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 400g mixed baby peppers
- 2 tsp smoked paprika, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp dried oregano, plus extra for seasoning
- 1 red pepper, finely diced
- 1 fennel, finely diced
- 1 pinch of ground turmeric
- 1 pinch of red chilli flakes
- 2 lemons, 1 zested, 1 zested and juiced
- 1 M&S white wine and herb pot
- 200g tinned cherry tomatoes
- 400ml shellfish stock
- 200g M&S raw Honduran prawns
- 15g coriander, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
Method
Step 1
First, place the cod fillets on a baking tray. Cover completely in the sea salt, then cover the tray and refrigerate for 30 mins.Step 2
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. For the boulangère potatoes, heat a large (30cm) non-stick pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the sliced onion, crushed garlic and thyme leaves in a little olive oil for about 10 mins until caramelised.Step 3
In a separate pan, bring the chicken stock, bay leaf and reserved thyme stalks to a boil and season with salt. In an oiled baking dish, create alternating layers of the potatoes and caramelised onions, finishing with a layer of potatoes. Pour over the hot stock to cover, brush the top with olive oil and bake for 25 mins.Step 4
While the potatoes are baking, place the baby peppers in a roasting tray, season with salt, a little smoked paprika and the extra dried oregano, then roast in the oven for 20 mins.Step 5
For the sauce, heat a large pan with a little olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add the diced pepper, fennel, onion and sliced garlic, and sweat for 5 mins with a pinch of salt. Add the turmeric, chilli flakes, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp dried oregano and the zest of 1 lemon. Cook for 1 min. Add the white wine stock pot, shellfish stock and tinned tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 20 mins.Step 6
Remove the cod from the fridge, rinse off all the salt under cold water and pat it completely dry with kitchen towel. Dust the cod fillets with smoked paprika.Step 7
Heat a large non-stick pan over a medium-high heat. Pan-fry the prawns in olive oil until cooked through. Once cooked, add the prawns and the chopped coriander to the sauce. Whisk in the butter to finish the sauce, then keep warm.Step 8
Five mins before serving, heat a large pan over a medium-high heat with a little olive oil. Sear the cod on each side until golden, then transfer the pan to the oven for 3 mins to finish cooking. Once cooked, squeeze over the juice and zest from the remaining lemon.Step 9
To serve, spoon the bouillabaisse sauce and prawns into the centre of four plates. Place the cod on top, and serve the roast baby peppers and boulangère potatoes on the side.