South Coast Cod

At the end of September I joined the parents on their tour of the South West Coast. While there the Dogg and I uncovered the mysteries of an Island containing much War History, two prisons and lots of quarries. We also discovered lots fine seafood including oysters and crab. 

Perhaps the most remarkable dish we discovered however was at a pub hidden in a valley near the South West Coast Path where we helped my mum celebrate what she reckoned was one of her most memorable birthdays. 

That area of the South West Coast has numerous links with the Smuggling Trade of years gone by and the name of this pub referred to these often romanticised links. 

The pub in question served me a tandoori Hake on a bed of Potatoes, Shallots and Spinach. It was that dish that inspired me to make recently my own take on this recipe which used fresh Cod Fillets in lieu of Hake. 

The ingredients were as follows: 

Two Large Cod Fillets.
Two tablespoons of Turmeric.
Two tablespoons of Fenuguk
Three Carrots, peeled, topped and tailed and cut into baton shapes. 
Three Shallots, peeled, topped and tailed and cut into halves. 
One White Potato, peeled and cut width-ways into circles. 
One White Onion,peeled, topped and tailed and cut into pieces width-ways. 
Five Lettuce Leaves. 

On the player was one of the discs of Fleetwood Mac's Epic collection of Live Radio Broadcasts known as Gold Dust Radio 1975-1988. The collection showcases a number of incarnations of the band and illustrates that whoever was in the band at the time each gig was recorded, they were always a top drawer live act. 

The method to make this dish is:

1. Marinate the Cod in the Turmeric and Fenuguk using Olive Oil to bind the spices to the Cod and a plastic brush to ensure the Cod is covered in the mixture. 

2. Steam the Carrots and the Potato for twenty minutes. 

3. Fry the Shallots and Onions on a medium heat in Olive Oil in a Le Cresceut Dish for ten minutes until they are translucent. Stir them regularly to stop them sticking to the bottom of the dish. 

4. Add the Carrots and Potato ,once they have been steamed, and fry the ingredients for a further five minutes. 

5. In the meantime wrap the marinated Cod loosely in foil to form a parcel and cook in the oven for twenty minutes on Gas Mark Four. 

6. Place the Lettuce Leaves on a plate. Add the Shallots, Onion, Carrots and Potatoes by placing them decoratively atop the Lettuce. Then place the Cod Steaks on top of everything else. 

This dish was a clash of exotic near eastern flavours with the Cod while the fresh vegetables were more at home on a traditional Sunday Roast Menu. Either way this contrast made this a varied an enjoyable dish that revived memories of some wonderful adventures on the South West Coast.