Braised Cod with Saffron and Cured Olives

With North African flavors, this dish has it all — sweet, sour, salty, briny and topped off with fresh mint. The original ATK recipe calls for Monkfish but it’s not available where I live, so I substituted Cod with great results. Serve with a warm crusty bread.

Recipe

(3) 2-inch strips orange zest, divided
5 garlic cloves, minced, divided
2 T. olive oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick
3 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, sliced 1/4-inch thick
¼ tsp. salt
1 T. tomato paste
1-1/4 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. dried mint
¼ tsp. saffron threads, crumbled
(1) 8-oz. bottle clam juice
1-1/2 lbs. cod, skinless, 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
¼ c. pitted oil-cured black olives, quartered
2 T. minced fresh mint
1 tsp. sherry vinegar

Mince 1 strip of the orange zest and combine with 1 tsp. of the minced garlic in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, carrots, salt and remaining 2 strips of orange zest and cook until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Stir in the remaining garlic, tomato paste, paprika, cumin, dried mint and saffron and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the clam juice, scraping up any browned bits.

Pat the fish dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Nestle the fish into the pot, spoon some cooking liquid over top and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer gently until the fish is opaque in the center, about 10-12 minutes.

Discard the orange zest. Gently stir in the olives, fresh mint, vinegar and garlic-orange zest mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Makes 4 to 6 servings.