Cod Baked with Chorizo & Tomato

We're lucky to have two good friends who watch our cats, Chip and Ralphie, when we're out of town. As a thank you for taking care of them while we were in Minnesota, my fiance and I had them over for dinner last week. These friends eat my cooking often, so I wanted to surprise them with something extra special that would still be easy enough to make on a weeknight. I settled on this recipe for cod baked in a rich, spicy chorizo and tomato sauce and it was such a crowd pleaser. I made the sauce as soon as I got home from work so that the whole house smelled delicious when they arrived. A few minutes before dinner, I baked the fish in the oven and served the whole thing family style.

Cod Baked with Chorizo & Tomato:

• Core, de-seed, and chop a red bell pepper and puree in a blender with a pinch of salt.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large pan and add in 1 lb. crumbled chorizo sausage.
• Cook sausage until brown, about 5 minutes, then add in 3 cloves thinly sliced garlic and a pinch of red chili flakes and cook for another minute.
• Deglaze the pan with 1 c. white wine and cook for another minute or two.
• Add in the red pepper puree and 4-5 chopped fresh tomatoes.
• Let sauce simmer for 20-30 minutes, then season with salt and pepper and transfer to a baking dish.*
• Nestle four 4 oz. pieces of boneless cod into the sauce and bake in a 425 oven for 10-12 minutes, or until fish is opaque.
• Sprinkle with a handful of of chopped fresh parsley and divide into shallow bowls.
• Serve with crusty bread for dipping.

Serves four

*Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days.