Spanish Saffron Baked Cod with Bell Peppers

Preheat the oven to 200 °C.

In a small bowl, crush 0.25 g saffron threads into 15 ml of hot water and let it bloom for 2 minutes.

Wash 1 red bell pepper and 1 yellow bell pepper, remove the seeds, and slice them into 1 cm thick strips. Peel and finely mince 3 garlic cloves.

In a mixing bowl, toss the sliced bell peppers with 15 ml olive oil, half of the minced garlic, 1.5 g smoked paprika, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Spread the peppers evenly across a baking sheet.

To the bloomed saffron water, stir in the remaining minced garlic, 1.5 g smoked paprika, 15 ml olive oil, 1 tsp grated lemon zest, a pinch of salt, and black pepper to create a vibrant marinade.

Pat dry 350 g raw cod fillets with a paper towel. Rub the saffron-paprika marinade thoroughly over all sides of the cod fillets.

Nestle the marinated cod fillets directly among the bell peppers on the baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven at 200 °C for 12 to 13 minutes, until the cod is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

Finely chop 10 g flat-leaf parsley. Garnish the baked fish and peppers with the chopped parsley and a fresh squeeze of juice from the zested lemon before serving.