Fish Tagine

With Chorizo, Spinach and Pearl Barley

you need

12 cod fillets or another white fish less in danger like perhaps Pollack
300ml coconut milk
300ml cream
10 strands of saffron
Zest of 2 lemons and 2 limes
3 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
5 crushed juniper berries
2 freshly made chorizo saucisson, not sausages, but the saucisson before it starts to dry out – cut on the diagonal into 1cm slices
4tsp freshly grated ginger
3 shallots finely diced
Knob of butter
200g pearl barley
100ml vegetable stock
500g fresh young spinach
50ml white wine
Smoked paprika
2 tbsp coriander oil – 5tbsp fresh coriander leaves blended with 4tbsp olive oil, pinch of salt and squeeze of lemon – sieved and kept in a plastic bottle with a nozzle

how to

In a deep sauté pan or earthen ware tagine dish, melt a knob of butter and sweat the shallots, do not color them but they should be soft and translucent.
Add the spices, lemon zest, ginger and saffron, then the wine.
Pour in the cream and milk then add the pearl barley, cover and cook for 20mins until the barley is soft and creamy
In a sauté pan fry the chorizo until it starts to crisp up, remove and drain off the juice, but reserve it for later
Slide the fish into the cream and cook gently for 6 mins turning half way through.
Then add the chorizo for 1 min.
In a large pan wilt the spinach down and drain
Return to a pan with a knob of butter, and season with salt, pepper and a pinch of smoked paprika To serve
Spoon a tower of spinach into the centre of each shallow bowl and place a fillet of fish on top
Spoon round the sauce from the tagine making sure there are a few slices of chorizo on each plate
Swirl round a little reserved chorizo juice and coriander oil