Cod Cheek Recipe With Pickled Cucumber and Kefir

Dean Parker's cod cheeks, pickled cucumber and kefir

Name: Dean Parker's cod cheeks, pickled cucumber and kefir
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 4 as a starter
Ingredients: 4 skinless cod cheeks, patted dry with kitchen paper; for frying vegetable oil; ¼ lemon, zested and juiced; ½ a bunch dill, chopped; 1 gherkin, chopped; grated to make 1 tsp fresh horseradish root; 10 leaves mint, chopped; 2 bay leaves; 12 black peppercorns; 15g golden caster sugar; 6g salt; 50ml sauternes wine; ½ cucumber, thinly sliced with a veg peeler; 150ml kefir; 50g crème fraîche; 50ml (from the jar) gherkin brine; a small handful of leaves chervil or parsley; ½ a handful sorrel or rocket; 50ml olive oil; for frying olive oil; 4 tbsp panko breadcrumbs

Preparation and cooking time
- Total time40 mins
Easy
Serves 4 as a starter

Ingredients

4 skinless cod cheeks, patted dry with kitchen paper
for frying vegetable oil
¼ lemon, zested and juiced
½ a bunch dill, chopped
1 gherkin, chopped
grated to make 1 tsp fresh horseradish root

PICKLE

10 leaves mint, chopped
2 bay leaves
12 black peppercorns
15g golden caster sugar
6g salt
50ml sauternes wine
½ cucumber, thinly sliced with a veg peeler

KEFIR

150ml kefir
50g crème fraîche

SPLIT DRESSING

50ml (from the jar) gherkin brine
a small handful of leaves chervil or parsley
½ a handful sorrel or rocket
50ml olive oil

CRUMB

for frying olive oil
4 tbsp panko breadcrumbs

Method

STEP 1
To make the pickle, put everything except the cucumber into a small pan with 200ml of water, and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Pour over the cucumber, leave to cool, then cover in clingfilm and chill.
STEP 2
Mix the kefir and crème fraîche and season. Cover and chill.
STEP 3
To make the split dressing, put all the ingredients into a small blender and whizz until it forms a purée. Season and chill.
STEP 4
Remove the cod from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to bring up to room temperature.
STEP 5
For the crumb, heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan, then add the breadcrumbs and fry until lightly golden. Scoop out, drain on kitchen paper, and season.
STEP 6
Lightly season the cod cheeks with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan to very hot, and add 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Put the cod cheeks into the pan, and once golden (about a minute), turn them over, take the pan off the hob and leave the cheeks in the pan for 5 minutes, to cook in the residual heat. Put the cheeks in a small bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice into the pan, put back on the heat, and deglaze it. Pour over the cod cheeks. Add the dill, gherkins, lemon zest and grated horseradish, and toss gently with the cod.
STEP 7
Spoon the kefir across half the bases of 4 small, shallow bowls, drizzle the dressing over and marble with a spoon.
STEP 8
Put 2 pickled cucumber pieces on the uncovered side of plate. Spoon the cod cheeks on and lightly sprinkle the crumb over.