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Cod croquettes with cod’s roe dip and red pepper chutney
Serves 4 Starters and mains
For the croquettes
- 500g cod fillet, skinned
- 2tbsp sea salt flakes
- 1 onion, blitzed in a processor
- 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- 15g butter
- 350ml full-fat milk
- 3tbsp parsley, finely chopped
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten and strained
- 100g plain flour
- 100g breadcrumbs
- 200ml sunflower oil, or enough for deep-frying
For the red pepper and onion chutney
- 50g red onions, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 red sweet pointed peppers, halved, deseeded and sliced
- 4 red chillies, halved, deseeded and sliced
- 1 x 400g can plum tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 150g coconut palm sugar
- 150ml red wine vinegar
For the cod's roe dip
- 75g cod's roe
- juice 1⁄2 lime
- 1⁄2tsp Dijon mustard
- 3tbsp good-quality mayonnaise
- 2tbsp double cream
Method
To make the chutney, which can be done a few days ahead, put the onions, peppers and chillies into a food processor and blitz to chop finely but not so much that it turns into a purée. Transfer to a non-corrosive pot. Drain the liquid from the can of tomatoes straight into the pot and put the tomatoes on a board and finely chop the flesh. Add the flesh to the pot along with the garlic, sugar and vinegar. Add 1tsp of sea salt.
Bring the mixture to the boil for 5 minutes. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 45 minutes until nicely thickened (it helps to use a heat diffuser to prevent the mixture burning onto the pan, otherwise stir frequently). Transfer what you need to serve with the croquettes into a serving bowl and put the rest in a jar to store in the fridge to use for up to 10 days.
Put all the ingredients for the cod's roe dip into a mini-processor and blitz until you have a smooth purée. Transfer to a serving bowl and chill until needed.
Sprinkle the fish on both sides with the sea salt flakes and leave in the fridge overnight.
To cook the fish, place in a pan of cold water and gently bring to a simmer. Turn the heat right down and cook for 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside to cool completely.
When the fish is cold, make the croquettes. Heat the extra virgin olive oil and gently fry the onion and garlic for 8 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent it burning. Add the butter to melt, then add the flour and stir well. Heat the milk in a pan and when it starts to bubble, remove from the heat and start adding a little at a time to the onion mixture. Cook on a very gentle heat until it becomes a paste. Transfer to a bowl and cover the surface of the mixture with cling film. Set aside to cool completely. Once cold, add the parsley to the paste. Finely chop the cold fish and season well. Beat the mixture well to break up and amalgamate the fish.
Form the cold mixture into roughly 32 balls. Heat the oil to 170-180C/325-350F in a large wok or saucepan or use more oil for a deep-fat fryer. Fry a few balls at a time for around 5 minutes until golden and cooked through. Fluctuate the temperature so they don’t over-brown before they are hot inside. Transfer to a tray and keep warm in a low oven until the rest are done. Serve with the cod's roe dip and chutney.
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