Name: Skrei with Tomato and Basil Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 5 dl red and yellow cherry tomato; 2 cloves garlic clove; 4 tbsp olive oil; 1 dl fish stock (diluted); 1 dl fresh basil; 0.5 tsp chili flake; 1 tsp sugar; 0.5 pcs lemon (zest and juice); 800 g skrei fillet, skinless; 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp pepper

UntrainedChef

Tips from the kitchen

Skrei is leaner than regular cod and overcooks fast. Brown it on one side, then let it finish in the sauce for those 3 minutes and pull it off the heat the moment it flakes apart easily.
Keep the tomatoes on low when they simmer in the oil. You want them collapsing into a soft sauce, not frying hard and going bitter around the edges.
Add the basil and lemon zest at the end, off the heat or just before the fish goes in. Cook them too long and you lose the fresh sharpness that cuts through the fish.
Pat the skrei dry with paper towel before you season and fry it. Wet fish steams instead of browning, and you want a bit of color on that one side.
The teaspoon of sugar is there to balance the acidity from the tomatoes and lemon. Taste before you add it, since some cherry tomatoes are sweet enough already.

Ways to vary it

If you have capers or a few chopped olives around, stir a spoonful into the sauce for a saltier, more southern Italian feel.
A handful of baby spinach wilted into the tomatoes just before the fish goes in works nicely if you want more greens on the plate.
Swap the basil for fresh oregano or a mix of both if that's what you have. Oregano gives it a slightly more rustic edge.

Storage & leftovers

Best eaten the day you make it, since the skrei dries out on reheating. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to two days in a sealed container. Warm gently in a pan with a splash of water or stock over low heat, just until heated through. I wouldn't freeze it, the fish goes mealy.