I’ve seriously been on a smoked paprika kick lately. It’s one of my favorite spices to start with, and I just love smoky flavors, but lately I’ve wanted it on everything! I’ve been trying it with some of my staple dinner ideas, for a bit of a variation, which is how this came to be. It’s quite similar to the baked haddock recipe, but with a bit more smoky goodness and bonus side vegetables.

There’s a shop in Brixton, in south London, where you can bag your spices and all sorts of interesting plant-derived things, and they are my suppliers for smoked paprika. With the opportunity to get as much as I want, I thought I overdid it – but with the speed at which we’ve emptied the first jar’s worth, I think I made out like a bandit, in the end.

If you don’t love smoky paprika (but seriously, how could you not) you can use sweet paprika, or … skip it entirely, though you’ll be missing out. If you don’t love cilantro/coriander on the other hand, just replace it with parsley. While I’m lucky enough that it doesn’t taste like soap to me, I feel for you if it does.

Note: I wouldn’t recommend reheating the fish, as it loses its soft flakiness and just turns rubbery, which is not tasty, no matter how much smoked paprika you put on top.

Recipe note: Add the carrots in first, give them 10 minutes, add the fish, give it 10 minutes, and then add the broccoli for 10 minutes.

Smoky Baked Cod

Serves: 4

On the Counter

4 fresh sustainable cod filets, about 4 in (10 cm) long and 1 in (3 cm) thick (can substitute with pollack or haddock)
6-8 cherry tomatoes
1 banana shallot or 3 regular shallots
2 cloves garlic
5-6 fresh sprigs cilantro/coriander (or parsley), leaves stripped from the stems
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp smoked paprika + 1 tsp set aside
1 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp set aside
1 tsp cayenne pepper powder

What to Do

Mince the garlic, slice the shallots and quarter the tomatoes. Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil and toss to combine, adding 2 tsp. of smoked paprika. Set aside.

Chop your herbs of choice. Combine the 1 tbsp. olive oil, cayenne pepper, herbs, 1 tsp. smoked paprika and salt. Coat each fish piece and set it aside for up to 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. If the fish are not well coated in olive oil, drizzle a little onto the paper/foil and lay the fish pieces on top. Spoon the vegetable mix on top of the cod.

Roasted Paprika Carrots and Broccoli

On the Counter

1 head broccoli, cut into florets, without main stem
8-10 carrots (depending on size)
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
6 sprigs cilantro/coriander, (or parsley) leaves stripped from the stems
2 tsp. smoked paprika
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. salt

What to Do

Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C).

Slice the carrots thinly on the diagonal, about 1 cm thick (just under 1/2 inch). Chop the coriander and combine it with the paprika, garlic, olive oil and salt. Divide the mixture into 2.

In one bowl, toss 1/2 the spice oil with the broccoli. In another bowl, toss 1/2 the spice mix with the carrots.

Line a large baking sheet with foil, and spread the carrots widely. (If you don’t have a big enough tray, you can cook them separately – like I did.)

Roast the carrots for 20 minutes. Add the broccoli onto the baking sheet and roast for an additional 10 minutes.