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Cod fritters and capers with tartar aioli, crispy parsley and tomato gastrique sauce
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 1/2tsp golden caster sugar
- 1tbsp sea salt flakes
- plus 1/4tsp, crushed, for the batter
- 700g skinless cod loin
- 80g cornflour, plus extra to sift and dust
- 4tbsp capucine (medium)
- capers, drained and dried well
- 40g self-raising flour
- 1 egg yolk
- 1tbsp white or rosé balsamic vinegar
- 110ml sparkling water, chilled
- sunflower oil, for frying
- 10g flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, washed and dried well
For the Tartar Aioli
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- 2 cocktail gherkins, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated
- 2tbsp white or rosé balsamic
- 175g good-quality mayonnaise
- 1tsp pul biber chilli flakes, plus extra to sprinkle (optional)
For the Tomato Gastrique Sauce
- 6 ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, quartered and deseeded
- 4tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1/4tsp sea salt flakes
- 1/2tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1tbsp golden caster sugar
- 3tbsp white or rosé balsamic vinegar
Method
Grind the sugar and 1tbsp salt together, rub all over the fishpieces, then set aside in the fridge for a few hours.
Meanwhile, make the tartar aioli. Put the spring onions, gherkins and garlic in a bowl, add the vinegar and set aside for 20 minutes. Add the mayonnaise and chilli flakes, then put in the fridge to chill until needed.
To make the tomato gastrique sauce, cut the tomato quarters into small cubes. Heat the oil with the garlic in a pan over a medium heat. Break up the garlic with a wooden spoon and when it fizzes take off the heat and add the tomatoes. Season with the salt and pepper, put back on a medium to high heat and cook for around 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Put the sugar and 1tbsp water in a pan and heat gently to dissolve the sugar, then increase the heat a little to make a light syrup. Take off the heat and add the vinegar, then put back over a low heat and add the tomato sauce. Heat again for a few minutes, then put in a bowl and set aside until needed.
When ready to cook, pat the fish dry to remove moisture that has been released during the salt cure. Sift some of the extra cornflour over and toss, then do the same with the capers.
Mix the flours together in a bowl with the crushed sea salt flakes. Only when ready to fry, lightly mix in the egg yolk, vinegar and water, being careful not to over-mix – it’s fine ifit’s a little lumpy.
Pour the oil into a deep,heavy-based pan or fryer, no more than two-thirds full, and heat until the oil reaches 190C on a cook’s thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, check the oil is ready by dropping a little of the
batter into the pan; it should sizzle immediately.
Fry the parsley leaves, a third at a time, for a few seconds, standing well back as they will spit as the water content in the leaves hits the hot oil. If you have a splatter guard, hold it over immediately as you add
the leaves. As soon as they are crisp, transfer to a tray lined with kitchen paper.
Using a spoon, take around a third of the capers, dip in the batter and add to the pan with the oil, pushing them off the spoon with your fingers one at a time, and cook for a few seconds until puffed and pale golden. Lift on to a tray lined with kitchen paper.
Serve the fritters scattered with the capers and parsley leaves and some small bowls of tomato sauce and aioli, sprinkled with extra pul biber, if using.
Cook’s tip
Don’t waste the tomato pulp when deseeding the tomatoes. Cook it down with oil and garlic to make a sauce for another use, passing it through a fine sieve to remove the seeds after cooking.
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