Nicholas Cuomo at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club
‘The recipe represents typical Mediterranean cooking: it’s very easy to prepare and doesn’t need a long time to cook. All the ingredients are available in any supermarket in Dubai. You can also use a wide variety of meaty white fish as a substitute for cod.’

Ingredients
4 cod steaks (approx 180g each)

For the herb crust
100g basil
100ml olive oil
200g white bread crumbs
½ garlic clove

For the confit tomatoes
12 vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, blanched and peeled
12 yellow cherry tomatoes, blanched and peeled
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp red grape vinegar

Fried onions
Indonesian crackers

For the zucchini compote
2 green zucchini, diced
100ml olive oil for frying (plus 2 tbsp extra)
1 red chilli, seeded and sliced
1 dessert spoon lemon zest, sliced
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
1 dessert spoon balsamic vinegar
2 basil leaves, chiffonnaded
Sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper to taste

Method
1 To make the tomato confit, place the tomatoes on a lightly oiled tray in a low oven for one hour. Heat the oil, balsamic and red grape vinegar in a small saucepan, remove from the heat and add the tomatoes.

2 To make the compote, heat the oil and add the chilli and lemon zest. Cook quickly, allowing it to colour, then add the garlic and cook for about one minute. Add the diced zucchini and sweat until cooked, then deglaze with the balsamic vinegar. Remove from the heat. When cool, stir in the basil and season to taste.

3 To make the herb crust, mix the breadcrumbs and garlic, then combine the basil and oil and add to the mix to make a paste – not too oily and not too dry – until well incorporated.

4 Roll out between sheets of baking paper to about 3mm thick and chill. Cut to the shape of the fish.

5 Cook the fish in a steamer at 55˚C for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. When almost done, place the crust on top of the fish and finish cooking in a 180˚C oven under a moderate grill.

6 Gently warm the tomatoes in the dressing. Place the fish on the plate and arrange with the compote and tomatoes.