“This is our version of sauce vierge, so it’s “like a virgin” sauce – or rather “almost virgin” sauce, because the classic version contains tomatoes. Steaming fish is so easy: it’s hard to get it wrong.”
– Hervé Tullet & Marie-Odile Briet, children’s author & food journalist, Paris
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
800g piece of cod, as thick as possible
Sauce:
A half bunch of parsley
A half bunch of coriander
A half bunch of basil
4 spring onions, chopped
1 roasted green pepper (optional)
10 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
5 tbsp lemon or lime juice (or a mix of the two)
A few drops of green Tabasco
Salt
METHOD
Cook the whole piece of cod in a steamer for about 10 minutes, depending on the thickness. Check it with the tip of a knife or, even better, your eyes.
Meanwhile make the sauce. Keep some of each herb aside and put the rest in a food processor with the oil, juice, salt, Tabasco and spring onions (and the roasted green pepper, if you have one in the fridge). Whizz it up so it becomes very smooth and has a great green colour. Taste and decide if it needs more acidity or not, then pour into a bowl and add the rest of the herbs, chopped but not processed.
Spoon some sauce over top of the cod and serve the rest in a bowl.