This Spanish-style cod recipe makes a lovely lunch or dinner dish.
Written by Martin Seymour | Editor, The Mayfair Foodie | About Me
Updated February 2026
Cod fillet with tomato bean stew has its roots in the sunshine of Spain. It is a flavour-packed recipe that is also healthy. I first came across this recipe on the outskirts of Seville but I believe it has its roots from futher north Spain in Barcelona, Cataluyna. Their are plenty of variations available but this is my take of the Bacalao a la Llauna.
Cod fillets cooked well are quick and easy. The secret to me is to start with the freshest fish you can find; from there, it’s as simple as not overcooking the fish and having nice crispy skin. You can also use Hake or even sea bass but cooking times might need to be adjusted.
To get good crispy skin on any fish, the skin needs to be dry. One tip is to rub salt onto the fish skin; this will release moisture and then wipe the skin dry just before cooking. Alternatively, a very light dusting of flour on the skin before frying will help.
The bean stew is a simple one-pot accompaniment to the cod but has so much flavour it brings the dish alive. The tomato stew also goes well with chicken, chorizo, and sausages or can be served with a hunk of fresh bread.
Our recipes are famed for being super tasty but easy to prepare, this dish also falls into the healthy eating category.
If you consider cooking Cod fillet with Tomato bean stew for a dinner party, may I suggest you look at my scallop and cauliflower puree recipe as a starter. I have recently cooked both for friends. Here’s a quick tip to save any stress: I cooked the cauliflower puree and bean stew in advance, so this only left the scallops and cod to cook, both quickly and easily.
Please take a look at the ingredients and cooking instructions below. Finally, a big thanks to Jason at East Point Fish; you can see by the pictures how fresh the cod is.
If you like this recipe, try our herb-crusted cod with minted pea puree
Cod fillet with tomato bean stew
Print RecipeIngredients
- 4 Cod Fillet pieces, I prefer think slices taken from a fillet
- Jar of white beans 540grm or butter beans
- 1 Red onion finely sliced
- 1 Tsp of Pimenton (Paprika) Hot or Mild
- Pinch of Chilli flakes (optional)
- 1 tin of good quality chopped Tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp of Sherry Vinegar
- 2 Tbsps of Tomatoe Puree
- 1 tsp of sugar or a tomato ketchup
- 1 Tsp of Fennel seeds
- 1 Glass of Red Wine (optional)
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
Instructions
As the cod cooks quickly, we prepare the bean & tomato stew first; however, before you start, remove the cod fillets and place them on a board, skin side up and as mentioned before and dry the skin with a kitchen roll or paper towel.
To make the Bean Stew
Heat the olive oil in a pan (med heat) and add pimento, chilli flakes, and onions. Fry until the onion softens. Add the garlic (don’t let the garlic burn). Add beans (drain the beans, but a little of the liquid is good), then add sherry vinegar, fennel seeds & red wine. Let the wine reduce slightly, then add the tomatoes, tomato puree & sugar.
At this stage, I usually put the lid on my pan and cook it in the oven at 160 for about 20 minutes. Feel free to cook on the hob, but do cover the pan. Check after ten minutes, if the sauce looks dry add water; add water to the mixture if it looks dry, or mix water & tomato puree together to add more of that tomato flavour.
Before you are ready to serve, add the knob of butter to the stew. Allow to rest whilst you move onto the cod fillets.
Heat a frying pan with oil and when hot, place the cod fillets face down in the pan (we are looking to crisp up the skin). Resist the temptation to move the fillets in the pan. After a minute, add two knobs of butter.
To Cook the Cod Fillets
After a further two minutes, gently lift up a fillet, and if the skin crisped up, if so turn over the fillets. Bast the fillets until the fish is cooked, it should be pearl white a look as if the flesh will flake. Depending on the thickness of the fish, it should take about another 6 minutes. Remove when cooked from the pan.
Place the bean stew in the bottom of the bowl and place the cod skin-side up on the stew.
Garnish with chopped parsley or if you prefer Coriander.
