Ingredients
Potato Crisps:
4 large fingerling potatoes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves, chopped or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried chives
2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
Fish:
1 3/4-2 pounds thick cod fillet, cut into 4 portions (buy thick center-cuts of fillet for this dish rather than pieces that include thin ends to fillets)
1/2 lemon, juiced
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
1/2 pint whole grape tomatoes
Broth:
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley (a couple handfuls)
1/4 cup mint leaves (a handful)
1 cup chicken stock
1 small shallot or 1/2 large shallot, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons light olive oil or vegetable oil, for frying
4 cloves garlic, gently cracked from skin and very thinly sliced
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
Pre-heat an ovensafe skillet over high heat. If using a regular skillet, wrap rubber handle in double layers of foil to protect the handle surface in the oven.
Prick the potatoes 3-4 times each with a fork and cook them in the microwave on high for five minutes.
Pat cod dry. Squeeze a little lemon juice over it and season with salt. Drizzle fish with EVOO.
When potatoes cool just enough to handle, slice them into 1/4-inch pieces, lengthwise. Coat them with EVOO and salt and pepper. Arrange them on a cookie sheet in a single layer and roast for 20 minutes. Do not move them or turn them as they cook. Chop tarragon, chives and parsley and combine and reserve.
Add cod seasoned-side down to very hot skillet. Sear it for two minutes. Drizzle the tomatoes with EVOO, season them with salt and pepper and add them to the fish. Sear tomatoes for one minute, then transfer the pan to the oven and roast the fish and tomatoes eight minutes, until fish is firm and opaque and tomatoes have all burst.
Place parsley, mint, chicken stock and shallot in food processor or blender and puree. Transfer to a small saucepot and bring to a simmer. Season the broth with salt and pepper, to your taste.
Heat the light frying oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add sliced garlic to the hot oil and let it fry until crisp and golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Drain garlic chips on a paper towel-lined plate and reserve.
When the potatoes are very brown and crisp on the bottom side and tender on the top side, remove. Coat sliced potatoes liberally with the chopped herbs.
Pour warm pesto broth onto each dinner plate.
Remove the fish from the oven. The bottom should be crisp and brown. Turn the fish over to place the crispy side up in pools of parsley-mint broth. Arrange the herb potato slices and tomatoes decoratively around the fish. Top the dish off with a scattering of garlic crisps and serve.