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Cornish Cod with Samphire
Cornish Cod with Samphire is a modern English recipe (originating in Cornwall) for a classic dish of poached cod served on a bed of cauliflower, samphire and mushrooms. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic English version of: Cornish Cod with Samphire.
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
60 minutes
Total Time:
80 minutes
Serves:
4
Rating: 
Tags : Wild FoodBritish Recipes
This is another example of the new wave of Cornish cookery, where locally-caught fish is combined with wild ingredients (marsh samphire and fairy-ring champignons).
Ingredients:
1kg (2 1/4 lbs) cod fillet
100g (3 1/2 oz) brown shrimp, peeled
1 large cauliflower, divided into florets (reserve the trimmings)
100ml (2/5 cup) single cream
100g (3 1/2 oz) marsh samphire
generous handful of fairy-ring champignons
2 tbsp single cream
2 onions, finely diced
2 tbsp butter
300ml (1 1/4 cups) chicken stock
100g (3 1/3 oz) vintage Cheddar cheese
plain flour for dusting
2 eggs
fresh breadcrumbs
oil for deep frying
chives
sea salt
For the Stock:
1 bulb of fennel, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 leek, washed and thinly sliced
2 sprigs of thyme
oil for frying
sea salt, to taste
Method:
Begin by making a light poaching stock. Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the fennel, onion and leek for about 4 minutes, or until soft. Add the thyme and season with salt then pour over 1.5l water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook gently for about 30 minutes. Strain and set aside.
Skin the cod and divide into four equal-sized pieces. Bring a large pan of lightly-salted water to a boil, add the cauliflower and blanch for 2 minutes then drain and set aside.
Chop the cauliflower trimmings, combine with the 100ml (3 1/2 oz) single cream then bring to a boil. Cook until the cauliflower pieces are tender then take off the heat, allow to cool slightly and purée until smooth. Turn into a strainer and pass through by pressing down with the back of a spoon. Set the resultant cauliflower purée aside.
Melt the butter in a pan, add the diced onion and sweat down gently for about 10 minutes, or until very soft. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil and cook until the volume has reduced by half. Take off the heat and set aside.
Take half the cauliflower florets and grate over the Cheddar cheese. Dust with flour then dip in the beaten egg before dipping in the breadcrumbs to coat. Drop in oil heated to 180ºC in a deep fryer and cook for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown on the outside and done through.
Pour the poaching liquid into a pan and heat to 50ºC (110ºF). Add the cod pieces, cover and poach gently for about 10 minutes, or until cooked.
Re-heat the chicken and onion stock and add the un-fried cauliflower florets, samphire and fairy ring champignons. Bring the mixture to a boil then take off the heat. At the very last minute add the prawns.
Put a little of the cauliflower purée on warmed serving plates. Arrange the poached cod on top then spoon around the samphire mixture. Garnish with the deep-fried cheesy cauliflower pieces and serve immediately.
