• 2 6-7 ounce codfish fillets
• salt and pepper
• approx 3 Tbs mayonnaise
• approx. 3 Tbs basil pesto
• 4 slices country bread (like baguette)
• 1/4 cup sliced, pitted kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomato strips (olive oil cured are best)
• 1-2 Tbs well drained capers
• 3-4 Tbs finely diced red onions
• olive oil and red wine vinegar for dressing bread salad (approx. 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar or to taste)

Procedure:

Pesto mayo codfish

Learn how to make this great fish dish. Use codfish fillets and a little basil pesto to make this dish really stand out.

Place the codfish fillets in an oiled baking dish, season with salt and pepper and then put a nice thick layer of the pesto mayonnaise on top of each fillet, and when the oven has reached its temperature, place the baking dish on the top rack of the oven. While the fish is baking, put 4 slices of country bread into the toaster to toast.

Use a mixing bowl to combine 1/4 cup sliced, pitted kalamata olives, 1/4 cup olive oil cured sun dried tomatoes, 1 Tbs well drained capers and a couple of Tbs of finely diced red onions.

When the bread is nicely toasted, cut that into bitesized pieces and toss that into the bowl and add a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a splash of red wine vinegar and mix that up.

Depending on the thickness of the fish, it could take anywhere from 10-15 minutes to cook through, and it's not necessary but you can turn the oven to the broiler setting for the last minute or two to help brown the top of the pesto mayonnaise.

Divide the bread salad onto plates and use a wide spatula to carefully put the fish on the plate and finish with some of the pan juices all around.

Hints:

If you're using dry packed sun dried tomatoes, reconstitute them in a little warm water and then drain them before adding to the bread salad. This will also work with salmon and you can leave the mayonnaise out if you like and just top the fish with pesto after it has been baked.

Serves 2