Roast cod with low-fat cheese rarebit & green bean salad

This is a delicious dish for a special occasion and really straightforward to make. You can also try this cheesy topping on ciabbatta bread or chicken breasts. The paste can be kept in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: About 15 minutes
Serves: 6

What you need:

100ml semi-skimmed milk
200g low fat hard cheese, grated
25g plain flour
25g fresh breadcrumbs
2 tsp English mustard powder
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
ground black pepper
1 egg and 1 yolk
6 skinless cod fillets, each weighing about 150g each
Olive oil spray oil

For the French Bean Salad

1 tbsp olive oil
250g French beans, trimmed and halved
100g, cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
handful basil sprigs
boiled new potatoes to serve

What you do:

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) mark 6. Put the milk in a saucepan with the grated low fat hard cheese and melt over a very gentle heat. When smooth stir in the flour, crumbs and mustard. Continue to cook, stirring, over a low heat until the mixture is smooth.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, crushed garlic and seasoning. Cool, a little before blending or beating in the eggs. Cover until ready to use.
Place the cod fillets in a single layer in a shallow, heatproof serving dish and lightly spray fillets with olive oil spray oil and seasoning.
Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes or until just cooked. Remove the fish and beat any pan juices into the reserved cheese mixture. Divide the cheese mixture over each fish fillet and place under a hot grill for about 2-3 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
Meanwhile, cook the beans in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain and add the chopped tomatoes, basil and olive oil, season with black pepper. Serve the fish on the bean salad and accompany with boiled new potatoes.

To prepare ahead

The cheese ‘rarebit' can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.

The British Cheese Board

The British Cheese Board is the voice of British cheese and is dedicated to educating the public about the nutritional benefits of cheese as part of a balanced diet in the UK. There are over 700 varieties of British cheese available with a British cheese for every occasion.