For the fish:

4 x 225g pieces of sustainable cod (or similar firm white fish)

A little olive oil

A small amount of butter

For the bhaji onions:

4 smallish red onions, very thinly sliced

80g gram flour

30g rice flour

1 tbsp butter, melted

A splash of fresh lemon juice

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp fennel seeds

2 cloves of garlic, minced

A handful of coriander, finely chopped

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

For the braised lentils:

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

A couple of inches of ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 carrot, finely diced

300g Puy or Beluga lentils

4 tsp curry spice mix of your choice

A little fresh coriander

The juice of 1 lemon

750ml chicken or vegetable stock

A little olive oil

Extras:

Natural yoghurt

Lime juice

A little fresh coriander

1 hot green chili pepper, thinly shaved (optional)

Method:

First, set the lentils on to cook. Sweat the vegetables in a little olive oil until the onions are soft and translucent.

Add the spice mix or curry powder, and stir to release their oils. Add the lentils and the stock, and bring to the boil. Simmer until the lentils are just tender, then add the lemon juice and fresh coriander.

Season to taste and keep warm while you make the bhaji onions; sift the two flours into a mixing bowl, then stir in the butter and lemon juice plus just enough cold water to take the batter to the consistency of double cream.

Stir in the spices, aromatics and herbs and add salt to taste. Stir in the onions, mixing well so they are well coated and all strands separated.

Heat the oil to 180ºC and set up a plate or tray lined with plenty of kitchen paper.

Once the oil is up to temperature, gently drop small batches of the onion mixture into the oil, stirring carefully to stop them sticking to the bottom.

Cook, turning frequently, until they become crisp and golden, then drain on the paper and keep warm while you cook the fish.

Heat the oven to 200ºC / Gas 6. Season the fillets with a little salt and pepper. Heat a little oil in a pan, and quickly sear the fish on both sides, then transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until just cooked.

Quickly whisk a little lime juice into the yoghurt.

To serve, spoon some of the warm lentils into a bowl and top with a piece of cod.

Arrange a nest of bhaji onions on top, drizzle with a little of the lime yoghurt, and garnish with slivers of chili (if you fancy) and some fresh coriander.

Stephen on this week's recipe

Going back through my old notes (well, opening some old folders on my pc) I stumbled upon my sketches for this dish and remembered that when I thought of it I got very excited about the prospect.

Evidently, something happened which prevented me from seeing the recipe through to completion, so it sat in pieces at the back of the ‘to do’ folder until just recently, when it intrigued me all over again.

Something about the cold weather immediately brings thoughts of spicy food to the fore, as well as slow-braised dishes.

And, as the waters around Britain are nicely chilly, fresh fish is at its very best right now, too. My mind swam with visions of beautifully pearlescent fillets of white cod, cooked just right, flaking off under the lightest pressure from the tines of a fork. It was time.

This recipe was my culinary ‘perfect storm’, and I had to get cracking right away. At the heart of this dish is a base of braised black or Puy lentils. I’m a big fan of these things, having first tried them back in the late 1980s as they began their assault on British tastebuds after years of use elsewhere around the planet.

Hitherto, the UK had only really used the red lentil, itself a great cooking ingredient, but with a tendency towards the mushy.

Years of bad vegetarian cooking had marginalised the lentil to the world of the ‘hippy dippy’ types, or evangelistic healthy eaters. You certainly wouldn’t sit your butchers’ pork sausages on a bed of them back in those days.

Then, chefs began to introduce the famous Puy lentil, a lovely dark green little legume from a small town in the Auvergne region. It cooked better, staying firm and nutty as it cooked. Its earthy, rich flavour, twinned with aromatics like onion and garlic, was a revelation, and bistros suddenly began ordering lentils by the ton.

Now, they are ingrained in our cuisine, and I’m delighted. I love lentils, whether as a side dish or in a starring role, and they are so versatile, welcoming hundreds of other ingredients to share the pan with them.

They love spices, and here, at the heart of our recipe, are wonderfully-textured slow-cooked lentils, enlivened with Indian-ish aromatics.

Here’s a great tip; any leftover lentils can be chilled and used in salads – they combine brilliantly with crunchy green leaves and sharp dressings. A lentil salad makes a terrific, filling lunch or light supper, and I think I love cold, cooked lentils, soaked in a nice tangy dressing almost as much as the warm, braised ones.

Atop the lentils is a meaty fillet of cod, or similar fish, cooked just so, with a little oil and butter, ready to flake into those soft lentils and take on the warmth and the spices.

I definitely wanted some added texture here, and thought of the old 90s garniture of shredded, deep-fried leeks, which then got me thinking about bhajis. The spiciness would marry well with the lentils, giving the whole dish a sense of cohesion.

I made sure these weren’t quite as stodgy as regular ones, so they form a loose, crispy nest of fragrant, crunchy red onions, which could be placed over the cod in a rough pile. A little lime-scented yoghurt and fresh coriander, and our dish is finished.

Oh, a quick reminder; please make sure that you buy sustainable cod. It’s a lovely fish, and I’d want future generations to think so too, so if you can’t be sure about its provenance, move along the counter and pick something else, or ask your friendly local fishmonger.

Our suppliers, Sailbrand, now have a smashing public area down at the wholesale market on Red Doles Lane, which is always a treat to visit, so you have no excuse. Otherwise, most supermarkets have more than adequate fish counters.

Quiz them, it’s what they are there for!