Name: Salt cod pintxos with romesco
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 20 gm sea salt flakes; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped; 2 tsp thyme, finely chopped; Finely grated rind of 1 lemon; 200 gm blue-eye trevalla, cut into 5cm chunks; 300 gm sebago potatoes, coarsely chopped; 1½ tbsp olive oil, plus extra for shallow-frying; 1 small onion, finely diced; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 350 ml milk; 2 tbsp each finely chopped flat-leaf parsley and oregano, plus extra leaves to serve; 1 tsp smoked paprika; Finely grated rind and juice of 1½ lemons; 1 eggwhite, whisked to firm peaks; 1 baguette, thinly sliced; For drizzling: sherry vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil; Romesco; 1 vine-ripened tomato, quartered; 1 red capsicum, quartered; 1 garlic head, halved; 2 tbsp olive oil; 25 gm crustless sourdough bread, coarsely torn; 20 gm roasted hazelnuts; 1½ tbsp Sherry vinegar, or to taste; 1 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste; ½ tsp sweet paprika

Salt cod pintxos with romesco

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for salt cod pintxos with romesco.

Serves 8

Prep

30M

Cook

45M

Total

1H 15M

You’ll need to begin this recipe a day ahead.

Ingredients

20 gm sea salt flakes

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 tsp thyme, finely chopped

Finely grated rind of 1 lemon

200 gm blue-eye trevalla, cut into 5cm chunks

300 gm sebago potatoes, coarsely chopped

1½ tbsp olive oil, plus extra for shallow-frying

1 small onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

350 ml milk

2 tbsp each finely chopped flat-leaf parsley and oregano, plus extra leaves to serve

1 tsp smoked paprika

Finely grated rind and juice of 1½ lemons

1 eggwhite, whisked to firm peaks

1 baguette, thinly sliced

For drizzling: sherry vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil

Romesco

1 vine-ripened tomato, quartered

1 red capsicum, quartered

1 garlic head, halved

2 tbsp olive oil

25 gm crustless sourdough bread, coarsely torn

20 gm roasted hazelnuts

1½ tbsp Sherry vinegar, or to taste

1 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste

½ tsp sweet paprika

Method

Main

1.Combine salt, garlic, thyme and lemon rind in a non-reactive container, add fish, stir to coat well. Refrigerate to cure (12 hours).

2.For romesco, preheat oven to 200C, drizzle tomato, capsicum and garlic with 1 tbsp oil on an oven tray, season and roast until tender (25-30 minutes). When cool enough to handle, squeeze garlic from skins (discard skins), then transfer garlic, tomato, capsicum and any pan juices to a food processor. Add bread, hazelnuts, vinegar, lemon juice and paprika, and process until smooth (1-2 minutes). With motor running, slowly add remaining oil and process until emulsified. Season to taste and refrigerate for flavours to develop (1-2 hours).

3.Bring potato and enough cold water to cover generously to the boil in a saucepan, cook until tender (10-12 minutes), drain and mash with a fork. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a small saucepan, add onion and garlic, stir occasionally until tender (4-5 minutes), then add to potato. Rinse fish under cold running water, bring to the simmer in a small saucepan with milk and poach until just cooked through (2-3 minutes). Drain, coarsely flake and add to potato mixture with herbs, paprika, lemon juice and rind. Fold through whisked eggwhite, season to taste and set aside.

4.Heat 3cm oil in a large deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add tablespoonfuls of potato mixture to oil in batches and shallow-fry, turning occasionally, until golden (2-3 minutes; be careful, hot oil will spit). Drain on absorbent paper and keep warm.

5.To serve, drizzle baguette slices with a couple of drops each of sherry vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil, spread with romesco and top with a fritter. Skewer with a toothpick and serve warm scattered with extra herbs.

Styling by Emma Knowles

Styling by Alice Storey

Styling by Lynsey Fryers-Hedrick