Preparation time
overnight
Cooking time
10 to 30 mins
Serves
Serves 2
Equipment: You will need a deep-fat fryer or a deep, heavy-bottomed frying pan.
Ingredients
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- 4–6 peppercorns
- 1 vanilla pod, seeds removed and pod retained
- 500ml/18fl oz sugar syrup
- 2 x 250g/9oz thick cut cod loin, pin-boned, skin on
- vegetable oil for deep-frying
- 400g/14oz Tenderstem broccoli
- 4 sage leaves
- 1 free-range egg white
- 100ml/3½fl oz sparkling water
- 50g/1¾oz plain flour
- 50g/1¾oz cornflour
- 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter
- 2 handfuls baby spinach
- 150g/5½oz French green beans
- 200g/7oz macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
- handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh chervil
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest and juice
Method
Place the sliced lemon, peppercorns and vanilla pod in a bowl and pour over the sugar syrup. Steep overnight.
Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Heat an ovenproof frying pan with a dash of olive oil. Once hot, fry the cod flesh-side down until a golden crust forms. Turn the cod over, then bake for 6–8 minutes. Remove the cod from the oven, rest for 3–5 minutes and peel off the skin.
Preheat the vegetable oil in a deep-fat fryer or frying pan. Beat the egg whites and sparkling water together in a shallow bowl. Combine the flours in a second shallow bowl. Coat the broccoli and sage in the egg white mixture, then in the flours, then deep-fry for 3–5 minutes (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended). Drain on kitchen paper.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in another frying pan and sauté the spinach and green beans until just cooked.
For the relish, mix the nuts, herbs, garlic, oil and lemon zest and juice in a bowl and set aside.
To serve, divide the green beans between two plates. Top with the cod. Garnish with the broccoli, lemons and sage.