Salt cod fritters & ajo blanco

Salt cod fritters

Serves 4-6 as part of a shared tapas / Makes about 16

Prep time 30 minutes (plus soaking time)

Cook 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 300g salt cod, soaked overnight in a large container of cold water in the refrigerator
• 450g (2 small) Sebago potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and quartered
• 250ml (1 cup) milk
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• A handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Plain flour, for dusting
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups fine fresh breadcrumbs for rolling
• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• Aioli and lemon wedges, to serve
  
  

Method

1. Place salt cod in a saucepan and cover with milk and 250ml water, or enough to just cover. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until fish is cooked and tender (about 10 minutes). Remove fish with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Place potato in the same milk water you used to poach the fish, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are very tender (about 15 minutes)
3. When fish is cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones and transfer flesh to a KitchenAid stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, then beat to break up the fish to coarse chunks. Add potato, 2 tbsp poaching liquid and oil and beat until the mixture smooth, and fish is finely flaked. Stir through parsley, then roll into walnut-size balls and refrigerate on a baking paper-lined tray until required.
4. To serve, preheat oil in a deep saucepan to 180C. Dust balls in flour, then coat in egg, and then coat with breadcrumbs, pressing to coat well. Deep-fry in batches, turning occasionally, until golden (4-5 minutes; be careful as the hot oil might spit). Drain fritters on absorbent paper, then serve hot with lemon wedges and aioli on the side.

Ajo blanco

Ajo blanco is a classic Spanish chilled soup and makes an ideal no-cook entrée or appetiser in summer, as it can be made ahead andserved straight from the fridge. The combination of creamy almond, garlic and sherry vinegar, along with fresh sweet grapes is very refreshing. Pair this with some salt cod fritters, Spanish olives, anchovies or Serrano jamon for a tapas-inspired night or have as an entrée on its own. The sweetness of the grapes are key here, but another classic alternative is to scatter over diced melon. You’ll need to start this recipe a day ahead to soak the almonds.

Serves 4-6 as part of a shared tapas

Prep time 15 minutes (plus overnight soaking)

Ingredients

• 250g blanched almonds
• 50g crustless sourdough, torn into small pieces
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
• Green grapes, thickly sliced to serve
• Coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, to serve

Method

1. Soak almonds in 750ml water in the refrigerator overnight.
2. The next day, combine almonds, almond water, sourdough, garlic, olive oil and vinegar in a KitchenAid blender, season to taste and blend on medium-high speed until smooth. Check seasoning and add extra vinegar or salt if desired. (Note: the grapes will change the taste completely, so add some sliced grape when checking for seasoning).
3. Serve soup chilled, topped with sliced green grapes and extra oil drizzled over, with a good crack of pepper.