1121. PAN-FRIED COD on a bed of PEA PUREE with SMOKED BACON and SHALLOT VELOUTE

serves four


4x 7oz cod steak
chopped chives

For the pea purée:
1lb. 2oz frozen peas
2oz butter
salt and pepper

For the shallot and bacon velouté:
9oz shallots sliced
½ pint fish stock
7oz smoked bacon trimmings
1½fl oz cream
8fl oz milk
3oz butter
1 bay leaf
1 large sprig of thyme

For the roasted shallots:
12 shallots peeled
2oz butter
salt and pepper
sherry vinegar

To make the pea purée: cook off the peas in boiling salted water until soft. Remove from the water using a spider or holey spoon and refresh in iced water. Once cool, remove from the water and leave the peas to drain for a little while.

Place 14oz of the peas into a food processor and blend to a purée. Pass the purée through a sieve to remove the outer skins and place the purée into a sauce pan.

Warm and mix in the butter and season with salt and pepper. At the last minute add the remaining peas and you are ready to serve.

To make the shallot and bacon velouté: Place the bacon trimmings and the milk together in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

Separately, sweat the shallots with butter and a pinch of salt, do not colour. Add the thyme and bay leaf and continue to sweat for a further 2 minutes.

Add the fish stock, cream and the infused milk with the bacon trimmings. Bring to the boil and slowly cook out for 20 minutes.

Remove the bacon trimmings, thyme and bay leaf and pour the liquid and shallots in the blender and blend until very smooth, then pass through a chinois.

Season with salt and pepper, add a knob of butter and using a hand blender create a cappuccino effect and serve.

To make the roasted shallots: make sure they are peeled to an even size and that you don't cut off the root. Place them into a saucepan and cover with water, add a pinch of salt to twist and bring to the boil.

Cook for about 5 minutes then pass off the shallots from the cooking liquid and refresh under running cold water.

Add the butter to a frying pan, heat slowly and add the shallots, season with salt and pepper then slowly colour the shallots.

Place into a preheated oven at 350F for 5 minutes then turn them and continue cooking until golden brown and soft.

Deglaze the pan with a splash of vinegar and drain in a sieve to remove excess fat. Reserve for later use.

To make the pan-fried cod: season with salt and pepper on both sides. Using a non-stick pan, heat with some olive oil and place the cod into the hot oil, skin side up.

Place into a preheated oven at 400F for 2 minutes and then flip over and continue to cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to over cook.

Remove from the oven and squeeze lemon juice over the fish. In the middle of each plate, place a spoonful of pea purée and dress three shallots around. Using a fish slice place the cod on top of the pea purée and then heat and froth the sauce using a hand blender and spoon around the fish.


courtesy of: Michael Caines, Saturday Kitchen, BBC Food