Salt cod brandade Pea purée, parmesan crisp, basil pesto, roasted cherry tomatoes

300g cod
100g sea salt
100g caster sugar
1 litre full-fat milk
2 bay leaves
1 sprig thyme
6 garlic cloves, peeled & bruised 200ml olive oil
1tbs mini capers
Pinch chopped dill
Diced red pepper
Ground white pepper
Juice of ½ lemon

500g frozen peas

Basil pesto
1 clove garlic, peeled
large bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked
50g pine nuts
3tbs extra virgin olive oil
50g parmesan, finely grated

Roast cherry tomatoes
8 cherry vine tomatoes
3tbs olive oil
2tbs balsamic vinegar
2tbs torn fresh basil
2tbs chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
2tbs chopped fresh coriander

150g grated parmesan

www.theglenmorangiehouse.co.uk

Serves 4

Combine the sea salt and sugar and cover the cod with the mix. Leave for at least 24 hours, turning at least twice.

Drain and rinse off the cod and cover with the milk in a pan. Add the bay leaves, thyme and garlic, bring just up to the boil, then turn off the heat. Leave for a few minutes then carefully flake the fish, leaving behind any bones and skin. Sieve the milk and reserve.

Put the cod in a food processor, add a ladleful of poaching milk and start to blend. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until you have a silky, smooth mixture. Add a little more milk if necessary. Stir in the capers, dill and red pepper and season with white pepper and squeezes of lemon to taste.

For the pea purée, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and blanch the frozen peas for 3 minutes. Drain and transfer the peas to a blender with a little water. Blitz the peas, adding more liquid in small additions as needed. Blend for no more than 2–3 minutes until a fairly thick, smooth purée has been achieved. Tip the purée into a fine sieve and use the back of the ladle to push it through – this will give you a silky-smooth finish. Taste and season with salt and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Bash the garlic for the pesto in a pestle and mortar with a pinch of salt. Add the basil leaves and pine nuts and pound to a coarse paste. Muddle in the extra virgin olive oil and stir in the Parmesan, adding a splash of water if you like it a little runnier, then continue bashing and pounding until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 200˚C. Place the tomatoes in a small baking tin. Drizzle over the oil and vinegar, scatter over the herbs and roast for 8–10 minutes.

Pre-heat the grill to medium. Line a baking tray with a sheet of baking paper and spread out a thin, even layer of grated Parmesan: to make neater, uniform crisps, use metal rings or draw circles on the baking paper as a template. Place the baking tray under the grill for approximately 3–5 minutes until the discs are a very light golden brown – they can burn easily so check regularly. Leave to cool before carefully transferring to a wire rack with a palette knife.