Home > Polenta recipes > Bacon-wrapped coley with cheesy polenta

Bacon-wrapped coley with cheesy polenta

Easy
August 2023

Easy
August 2023

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Hands-on time 25 min, plus oven time 15 min

Chef and MSC UK ambassador, James Strawbridge says “this recipe is my twist on a classic, the well-loved dish hunter’s chicken (cacciatore). I’ve brought in Louisiana-style flavours to give it a sweet and smoky kick which balances nicely with the cheesy, comforting corn grits – or in this case, polenta.”

Try turmeric-roasted hake with coconut sauce for another sustainable fish supper.

Photography: David Loftus

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 679kcals
Fat: 35g (18g saturated)
Protein: 38g
Carbohydrates: 52g (15g sugars)
Fibre: 2.5g
Salt: 2.6g

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 679kcals
Fat: 35g (18g saturated)
Protein: 38g
Carbohydrates: 52g (15g sugars)
Fibre: 2.5g
Salt: 2.6g

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Ingredients

4 coley fillets (about 120g each)
8 slices smoked streaky bacon or pancetta
100ml good-quality barbecue sauce
50g mozzarella, chopped
50g mature cheddar, coarsely grated
2 thyme sprigs
Buttery green veg to serve

For the cheesy polenta

185g polenta
50g salted butter
50g mature cheddar, coarsely grated
Pinch cayenne pepper or splash Tabasco

Method

Heat the oven to 200°C fan/gas 7. Put the polenta in a saucepan and cover with 1 litre water. Season with a good pinch of salt and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until it resembles runny porridge. After 30-35 minutes, add the butter, cheese and cayenne/Tabasco. Stir until smooth and season to taste.
Meanwhile, stretch out the bacon/pancetta with the flat of a knife blade and wrap each fillet of coley carefully in 2 slices to cover the fish like a parcel, then put in an ovenproof dish lined with baking paper. When the polenta has 15 minutes of cooking time remaining, put the fish in the oven. After 10 minutes, spoon over the barbecue sauce and cover with the cheese and thyme. Return the dish to the oven to cook for a further 3-5 minutes until the cheese has melted.
Serve the coley on a bed of cheesy polenta with green vegetables on the side.

delicious. tips

Coley is a great swap for cod as both have beautiful, flaky and meaty textures. The bacon protects the fish and keeps it juicy and tender, but if you don’t eat meat, you could make it without.
“When you buy seafood with the blue MSC ecolabel, you’re supporting sustainable fishing communities all over the UK and Ireland who are helping protect our ocean.” James Strawbridge