Cod and Crab Cakes with Roasted Pepper Coulis

Coulis

1. 2 medium red bell peppers, cut into 2-inch pieces
2. 2 garlic cloves, peeled
3. 1/2 small red onion, coarsely chopped
4. 1 small jalapeño, seeded and coarsely chopped
5. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
6. 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
7. 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
8. 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Cod and Crab Cakes

1. 1 pound skinless cod fillets
2. Salt and freshly ground pepper
3. 1/2 pound lump crabmeat, picked over
4. 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
5. 2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
6. 2 tablespoons minced celery
7. 2 tablespoons minced scallions
8. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
9. 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
10. 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
11. 1 cup plain dry bread crumbs
12. 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
13. Lemon wedges, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Combine all of the ingredients in a medium nonreactive roasting pan and cover tightly with foil. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Transfer the vegetables and any accumulated juices to a blender or food processor and puree the vegetable mixture until smooth. Leave the oven on.
2. Season the cod fillets with salt and pepper and arrange them on a lightly oiled nonstick baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the flesh flakes easily. Let cool.
3. Flake the cod into a large bowl and add the crabmeat, fresh bread crumbs, red bell pepper, celery, scallions, lemon juice, mustard and 2 tablespoons of the parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
4. On a plate, toss the dry bread crumbs with the remaining 1 tablespoon of parsley and season with salt and pepper. Divide the cod and crab mixture into 12 parts and shape each into a 1-inch-thick cake. Coat each cake well with the seasoned bread crumbs.
5. Rewarm the coulis in a nonreactive saucepan. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add 4 of the cod and crab cakes and cook over moderately high heat until golden and crisp on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Gently turn the cakes and cook until golden on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer to a platter and keep warm in a low oven. Fry the remaining cakes in 2 more batches, using 2 tablespoons of oil for each batch.
6. Spoon the red pepper coulis onto 6 large plates. Set 2 cod and crab cakes on each plate and serve with lemon wedges.