Spicy Buttery Cod with Corn, Burst Tomatoes and a Lot of Herbs

Of all the weeks to finally finish a kitchen, I picked the one where it hit 40°C and the last thing I want to do is turn on the oven. So this is what I have been making instead: a spicy, brothy, 20-minute or less cod that asks almost nothing of you and isn’t, for once, a salad.

It has been a long time in the making, riffed and remixed over the years from an old Alison Roman recipe I adore. The whole thing is really just three elements: a quick gochujang broth, a piece of fish poached gently in it, and a cold pile of herbs and shallot over the top. Hot, cold, soft, sharp. A winning combination

Why gochujang

Because it is fermented, gochujang brings a depth and a funk you simply cannot fake or rush. A spoonful melted into butter and stock turns a thrown-together weeknight broth into something that's pleasantly complex and zingy. It's one for the pantry. Comes in a giant tub and adds heft and complexity to dressings, mayos and marinades. And if you made last week's 1-2-3 Gochujang Mince, you will still have most of that tub sitting in the fridge, so consider this another very good reason to reach for it.

Why you cure the cod

Do not skip this, and it only takes ten minutes. A quick salt and sugar rub goes on the fish while you prep everything else. In that short time the salt works mostly on the surface, drawing out a little moisture and firming the proteins on the outside of the fillet. That firmer exterior is the whole point: it is the surface that flakes and falls apart the second fish hits hot liquid, so this is what keeps your cod in neat, tight pieces in the broth. It seasons that outer layer too, and the sugar balances it while drawing out the cod’s natural sweetness.

The rest is just summer produce doing its thing. Sweetcorn, tomatoes just cooked but still holding their shape, a genrrous squeeze of lime and fish sauce to sharpen the broth. Serve it over rice to catch all of it. It scales beautifully, so add another fillet and it happily feeds four.

One last thing before you go: we are off to Greece this weekend, Isla’s first ever flight, up at 4am, heaven help us. If you have flown with a toddler and have a tip that genuinely saved you, drop it in the comments. I need all the help I can get.

To the food!

Jess x