Crown prince pumpkin and roast cod | Recipe of the week

My wife, Julia, said it was a little unfair not to considering I like it so much. This week’s recipe will use crown prince pumpkins as part of a tasty cod dish, and I use them because they hold their shape when cooking. The firm texture and flavour works well with the cod and is tied together with smoked garlic, thyme and bacon.

Ingredients – serves four

4 thick fillets of cod; 12 2cm wedges of crown prince pumpkin Peeled and de-seeded; 3 shallots finely chopped; 2 cloves smoked garlic finely chopped; 3 tablespoon olive oil; dessert spoon capers; dessert spoon chopped thyme leaves; 4 rashers streaky bacon (if you don’t have smoked garlic, use smoked bacon); 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Method

1. Rub the pumpkin wedges in olive oil and roast in a preheated oven 200c gas 6 for 10 minutes.

2. Whilst the pumpkin is cooking cut the bacon into small strips and cook in a frying pan for 3 minutes.

3. Add the shallots and smoked garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

4. Now add the capers, thyme, balsamic and olive oil. Cook for one minute and take off the heat and add 2 tablespoons of water. Season.

5. Check that your pumpkin is nearly cooked and pour the dressing over the pumpkin. Remove from the oven while you pan fry the cod and then roast it for 10 minutes. For the last 3 minutes of cooking put the pumpkin in the oven to finish cooking.

6. When the cod is cooked arrange the pumpkin into bowls and top with the cod, Spoon the dressing over the cod and around the bowls.