My best tip for making fish more appealing to someone who isn't a fan: wrap it in meat! This cod wrapped in prosciutto has everything you could want. Fresh cod fillets and salty prosciutto has very complimentary flavors, and to balance out the saltiness I like to serve it on a bed of lemony pea puree. I also love serving this dish with some vegetables. Roast potatoes, roast mixed vegetables, or this Mediterranean chickpea salad (as pictured) are all excellent options.
I LOVE fish. It might be the Norwegian in me talking, but I just think fish is incredibly under appreciated. I think part of it is the fact that nobody seems to know how to cook it. I have been served boiled fish (yuck), pan fried or oven baked fish with no seasoning, and severely overcooked fish too many times, and it has to stop. This fish is so easy to cook perfectly. All you need is five minutes in a pan on the hob, and it's done. Yummy!
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How do you cook cod wrapped in prosciutto?
For this recipe, we want to cook the fish in a pan on the hob. I use a cast iron skillet because I think it gives a better flavor, but any pan or skillet will do. Heat some butter or oil to grease the pan, and wrap your fresh cod fillets in prosciutto. I had to use 2 pieces of prosciutto for each fillet, but you might have to adjust this with the size of your ingredients. Just make sure it's wrapped up, but there should only be one layer of ham around the fish. Season with some salt and pepper. Add the fish to the pan, cook for a few minutes then turn and cook on the other side. The prosciutto will change slightly in color and might crisp up a bit.
It can be a bit tricky to tell when the fish is done, so you might have to rely on instinct here. The cook time will also vary based on the thickness of your fillets. Mine were long and very thin, so I only cooked for 3 minutes on each side, and it was perfect. If you're not sure if it's quite done, you can slice the fillet down the middle. The fish is ready when the center feels warm, and the fish is starting to flake.
Tips and substitutions
Prosciutto - This is an Italian dry cured ham that can be eaten uncooked, or cooked as in this recipe. The flavor compliments cod really well, but you could substitute this for streaky bacon if you're in a pinch. As bacon has to be cooked, make sure you cook the fillets thoroughly on both sides if you choose to use that instead.
Cod - I love cod, and fresh cod fillets are amazing. I imagine this would taste good with any white fish, as long as the fillets are either defrosted or fresh. Keep in mind that the cook time for the recipe will vary depending on the thickness of your fillets. Mine were very thin, and I only cooked the fish for a couple minutes on each side. Bigger fillets might need up to 5-6 minutes on each side.
Pea puree - I included a pea puree in this recipe because it's my go to side dish for cod. For some reason it seems to be the default side everywhere in the UK. If you go to any restaurant and order cod, it will be served with some form of peas, and pea puree is my favorite. You can of course just skip the peas and use your preferred side dishes, but I highly recommend you try this if you haven't. I like my purees a bit on the chunky side, but if you want a smooth puree, just blend it for a little longer and add a bit more liquid.
Storage
This dish is best served immediately. Cooked cod will store just fine in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. It is really easy to overcook and dry out fish fillets. Therefore, it can be tricky to reheat leftovers. Your best bet is probably to serve leftovers with a sauce, or even heat it up in a sauce to add extra moisture to the dish. You can also freeze any leftovers that will not be eaten within the next days, but reheating it from frozen will increase the chances of the fish drying out further.
More lean main dishes:
- Slow cooker gammon in coke
- Pasta with roasted tomatoes, feta and basil
- Salmon and creme fraiche pasta
- Mediterranean apricot chicken bake
- Easy slow cooker apricot chicken with thyme
Cod wrapped in prosciutto
Ingredients
Cod wrapped in prosciutto
- 2 cod fillets
- 4 slices prosciutto
- butter or oil for cooking
- salt, pepper
Pea puree with lemon
- 150 g frozen peas
- lemon juice
- water
- salt
Instructions
Prosciutto wrapped cod
- Heat some butter or oil in a pan on medium heat.
- Wrap the prosciutto around the fillets to cover them.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the prosciutto wrapped fillets to the pan, and cook for a few minutes. Turn, and cook on the other side.
- The cooking time might vary based on the thickness of your fillets, but typically 3-6 minutes on each side will suffice.
Pureed peas
- Add frozen peas to hot or boiling water for a few minutes. They don't have to cook thoroughly, just warm up slightly and defrost.
- Move the peas to a food processor or blender. Add some lemon juice, water and salt.
- Blend until desired consistency. A smooth puree will take about 3 minutes.
- Add more lemon, salt or pepper to taste. Heat up the puree in a small saucepan if needed.
Michelle Miller
Love the combination fish and prosciutto. Such a great idea.
Tonje
Thank you, it's really tasty 🙂
Veena Azmanov
Awesome and mouth melting. Love the combination to this unique dish.
Tonje
I'm glad you like it! 🙂
Danielle Wolter
I will eat anything wrapped in prosciutto! This is such a great recipe - so many great flavors!
Tonje
Agree, prosciutto is amazing! I'm happy you like it!
Kelly Anthony
My kids don't love fish but I'm hoping your trick of wrapping it in meat will be the trick I've been missing. Thanks for the tip!
Tonje
Good luck, I hope it works!
Traci
Delicious! And you can never go wrong with prosciutto and cod! What a fun idea...and so easy too! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Tonje
Absolutely, I'm obsessed with this now haha!