Spring cod -how to change a recipe healthier

In spring, I love the combination of fresh cod, tender green local asparagus, fruity olive oil, lemon and new potatoes. The following recipe was inspired by a beautiful picture in a French magazine. But when I started reading the recipe, I thought that, oh no, a simple but major change is necessary.

Cod is almost fat-free white fish with plenty of protein and, like all fish and seafood it is healthy for the heart. But unfortunately this recipe, like many cod recipes, was made with loads of butter. Butter has high saturated fatty acid content and is best used sparingly if you want to keep your heart happy.

But you can easily swap the butter with olive oil. Olive oil is a heart-healthy fat and is one of the secrets in healthy Mediterranean diet. I love olive oil, and it is interesting to find different flavors. For this dish I would choose a very fruity type of olive oil. You may wish to add a pinch of salt, because olive oil has no salt, whereas butter normally has some salt added.

2 servings

2 nice cod fillets, pavés de cabillaud
4 tbsp fruity olive oil
1 organic lemon, zested and juiced
About 3 tbsp chopped chives
Freshly ground black pepper
10 asparagus spears
A pinch of salt (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200⁰ C, roast.

Place 3 tbsp olive oil in a bowl. Wash the lemon and grate the zest from it in the bowl. Press out the juice from half the lemon into the bowl. Add the black pepper, salt if using it, and chives. Mix well and set aside.

Wash and dry the asparagus spears. Cut off the bottoms. Peel the asparagus spears if they are thick. You do not need to peel the tender and thin ones. Cut the asparagus spears into about 5 cm long pieces.

Oil an oven proof dish with 1 tbsp olive oil. Place the cod fillets and asparagus in the dish and divide the olive oil- lemon mixture on top. Roast in oven for about 10 minutes. Serve with steamed new potatoes, and spoon all the nice sauce that has accumulated in the oven proof dish over the fish, asparagus and potatoes.