Fresh cod 'salt fish', with cucumber and mint gazpacho
Andi Oliver makes a fragrant salt fish served with a refreshing cucumber, mint and jalapeño gazpacho. Perfect for a summer evening or weekend meal to impress.
Ingredients
For the fresh cod “salt fish”
- 2 cod fillets (150g/5½oz each), skin on and pin boned
- 100/3½dz sea salt
- 3 bay leaves, torn
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 20 curry leaves
- 2 lime leaves, torn
For the curried fennel
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 25g/1oz unsalted butter
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 fennel, thinly sliced
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 100ml/3½fl oz chicken stock
For the cucumber, mint, jalapeño gazpacho
- 1 cucumber, chopped
- 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped
- 2 fresh jalapeños, chopped
- 1 small bunch tarragon
- 1 small bunch parsley
- 1 small bunch chervil
- 1 small bunch mint
- 200g/7oz gooseberries
- 1 lime, peeled
- 1 bunch chives
- 1 avocado, chopped
- 1 bunch spring onions
To serve
Method
To make the salt fish, place the cod and all the other ingredients into a deep tray and leave to cure for 30 minutes, but no more than an hour. Before cooking the cod wash the cure off.
Meanwhile, heat a lidded frying pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil and butter, once hot and melted add the cumin and mustard seeds and turmeric and cook for 1–2 minutes. Add the fennel, onion, and garlic and cook for a further 1–2 minutes. Add the stock and cook for 3–4 more minutes. Place the cod on top of the vegetable mixture and place a lid on the frying pan. Cook for 8–10 minutes depending on the size of your fish.
To make the cucumber gazpacho, place all the ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Put in a squeezy bottle ready to serve.
To serve, place the avocado, cucumber, gooseberries, jalapeño, apple, chives and lime juice into a bowl and mix. Serve the fennel and cod on a plate with the gazpacho on the side and the avocado mixture on top of the cod.