Cod with Horseradish Peas and Crushed Potatoes

This is a beautiful version of fish, chips and peas and it’s perfect for Good Friday. It might look fancy but it’s not a complicated meal to put together and it’s so flavourful. The crushed potatoes have crispy edges and soft insides that soak up the sauce. The horseradish sauce is more zingy than hot and balanced by the cream. In the summer I use pea shots instead of rocket but in the spring I use rocket or spinach.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 2 Adults & 2 Kids
3 cod fillets
15g butter
2 tsps cornflour
700g potatoes
50g shallots
2 tbsps prepared horseradish
250g peas
350ml veg stock
60ml cream
75g rocket or pea shoots or baby spinach
4-5 mint leaves
olive oil, salt and pepper
1/2 lemon

• Pre-heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan). Chop the potatoes into 2cm cubes and tip into a large baking tray then drizzle with olive oil, grind over with salt then add 3 tbsps of stock to the dish and bake for 25 minutes. Once the potatoes are cooked, press down on them with a fork or potato masher to break the skins, then grind over with salt.

• Put 1 tbsp of olive oil into a medium sized skillet or frying pan on a medium high heat. Peel and thinly slice the shallot and soften in the oil for 2-3 minutes, stirring so that they don’t burn. Add the stock and turn the heat down to medium.
• Put the peas in a microwavable bowl, add a splash of water, cover and microwave for 5 minutes. Add the cooked peas to the stock and shallots then take the pan off the heat while you add the cream, stir to combine then put back on the heat.
• Finely chop some mint and add to the sauce along with all but a handful of rocket then add the horseradish and stir everything together.

• 10 minutes before the potatoes are finished put the butter in a small frying pan on a medium high heat. Dry the cod fillets with a clean tea towel or kitchen roll. Sprinkle the cornflour onto a plate and grind over generously with salt then press the top of each piece of cod into the cornflour. Place the cod, flour side down, in the pan and cook for 4-6 minutes until you can see the fish is cooked 1/3 of the thickness and the crust is golden. Turn the fish and cook for another 3-5 minutes on a medium heat then turn the heat off and cook in the residual heat.

• Place the potatoes in the bottom of shallow bowls or plates then spoon over the peas and sauce then top with the fish and squeeze a little lemon over each piece of fish. Scatter a few fresh rocket leaves over to finish.