Salt & Pepper Cod With Sesame Noodles

Pat your cod fillet[s] dry with kitchen paper and cut into large bite-sized chunks (unevenly sized diced pollock or upgraded to cod? Chop into bite-sized pieces)

Add the cod chunks to a bowl with your cornflour, a generous pinch of salt, a grind of black pepper and your five-spice mix and give everything a good mix up until well coated

Boil a kettle

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a very generous drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Once the pan is very hot, add the coated cod and cook for 4-5 min on each side or until golden and crispy and the fish is cooked through – this is your crispy cod

Tip: Your fish is cooked once it turns opaque and flakes easily

While the cod is cooking, finely slice your red chilli[es] into rounds

Trim, then roughly chop your spring onion[s] into batons

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Deseed your pepper[s] (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon) and slice into thin strips

Add your fine egg noodles to a pot and cover them with boiled water until fully submerged

Bring to the boil over a high heat and cook for 1-2 min or until tender, then drain, reserving a cup of starchy noodle water

Once drained, return the noodles to the pot and set aside

Once the cod is crispy, add the spring onion batons to the pan with the chilli rounds (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) and chopped garlic

Cook for 2-3 min or until fragrant

Once fragrant, transfer everything to a plate (save the pan!) and set aside until serving – this is your salt & pepper cod

Return the reserved pan to a medium-high heat with a drizzle of vegetable oil

Once hot, add the pepper strips and cook for 2 min or until slightly softened

Meanwhile, combine your soy sauce and toasted sesame oil in a small bowl with your rice vinegar – this is your sesame dressing

Wash your spinach, then pat it dry with kitchen paper

Once the pepper is cooked, add the drained noodles and spinach to the pan

Tip: Add a splash of the starchy noodle water if it's looking a little dry

Turn off the heat and stir through the sesame dressing – these are your sesame noodles