Spanish lentil and cod stew

Finely chop the onion and the red bell pepper, roughly chop four cloves of garlic and cut two peeled carrots into small bite sized pieces.

Finely grate two tomatoes to get half a cup of tomato sauce.

Rinse a cup of dried lentils in a fine sieve under water; dried lentils do not need an overnight soak.

Heat a stock pot over medium heat with 35 ml of extra virgin olive oil.

After a couple of minutes add all the chopped ingredients except the grated tomato and stir continuously three to four minutes until the onion is translucent and the rest is lightly sauteed.

Add the smoked paprika and ground cumin and mix so the spices coat the vegetables.

Add the grated tomato, mix and simmer three to four minutes until slightly thickened.

Add the drained lentils and one litre of vegetable broth.

Add a bay leaf, turn the heat to high and mix gently.

Once it comes to a boil, put the lid on, lower to a low heat and simmer about 20 minutes until the lentils are just cooked through, checking the package instructions.

Pound two cloves of roughly chopped garlic, the chopped parsley and a little sea salt in a mortar with a pestle to a paste-like texture.

Mix 15 ml of extra virgin olive oil into the paste and set it aside.

Pat the cod fillets completely dry on paper towels.

Drizzle the fillets with olive oil, rub it all over and season both sides with sea salt and black pepper.

Heat a non-stick grilling pan over medium heat for five to six minutes.

Cook the cod about three minutes per side until cooked through, then set it aside covered with foil to stay warm.

Season the cooked lentils with sea salt and black pepper and mix; dried beans are seasoned after cooking, since seasoning them beforehand makes them slower to cook and tougher.

Transfer the stew to a shallow bowl, top it with a cod fillet and spoon over the parsley and garlic sauce.