Cod and Clementine Curry

WE ARRIVED LATE to The Great British Bake Off party. Of course we knew it was out there—with millions of devoted fans and spinoff cookbooks and star bakers, it's impossible to miss! But we hadn't watched a single episode until forced time at home during the pandemic allowed us to catch up a bit with the rest of the world. And ah, the civility! The unrivaled pastries! The quirky and creative home bakers and nail-biter time constraints! What a joy it is.

One perk beyond entertainment value is the inspiration the show has provided for our own cooking, both sweet and savory, like this Cod and Clementines Curry. Contestant Nadiya Hussain stuffed her curry into puff pastry vol-au-vents (yum!) in Season 6, to the delight of the judges. We simply serve it with plain basmati rice, though involving some crisp golden pastry is of course appealing!

The surprise ingredient—clementine skins—lend complexity to the dish with their citrusy bitterness. We've played around with the recipe, adding extra heat with chiles and ginger and varying the spices, but the clementines remain unchanged. The curry comes together in about 30 minutes, making it eligible for dinner any night. We hope you'll give it a try!

Recipe

Cod and Clementine Curry

Author Nadiya Hussain

Nadiya Hussain of The Great British Bake Off stuffed this tantalizing curry into vol-au-vents during pastry week, to great acclaim. What makes it a stand out winner is her grandmother's genius idea of simmering slivered Clementine skins in the sauce, infusing the dish with a bright burst of citrus and unexpected depth of flavor.

Adapted from: Nadiya Hussain by Jen Nurse
Yield 2 servings

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 inch piece fresh ginger, finely grated

½ red onion, diced

1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

1 Tbsp tomato paste

¾ cup water

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp turmeric

2 clementines, peel of both and juice of one

2 green Thai chiles, stems removed, slit down one side

¾ lb cod fillets, cut into 1½-inch chunks

A handful of cilantro, finely chopped

Flatbread or cooked basmati rice, to serve

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the diced onion and ½ teaspoon of salt, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook gently until the onions are soft and beginning to brown.

2. Add the tomato paste, water, paprika, cumin and turmeric, and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.

3. Thinly sliver the clementine peel and add it to the pan, along with the slit chiles and ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook for about 10 minutes—until the peel is soft and almost falling apart—then roughly mash it, avoiding the chiles.

4. Add the chunks of fish. Cover and cook over low heat until the fish is just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.

5. Take the pan off the heat. Squeeze in the clementine juice, taste the sauce, and adjust seasonings. Sprinkle with cilantro, and serve with hot basmati rice or some warm flatbread.

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