Roast Cornish cod, cockle chowder, grilled cucumber

Instructions

1. Step 1

   The day before serving, brine the cod and make the cucumber oil. First, bring the water, salt and kombu to a simmer then take it off the heat. Set aside to chill

2. Step 2

   Brine the cod fillet in the kombu stock for 12 hours

3. Step 3

   For the cucumber oil, first prepare an ice bath

4. Step 4

   Heat the grapeseed oil to 60°C, then remove from the heat

5. Step 5

   Blend the oil for 4 minutes with the spinach at full speed in a liquidiser

6. Step 6

   Transfer the oil to a sous-vide bag, and submerge into the ice bath. Once cool, strain out the spinach

7. Step 7

   Freeze the oil for around 2 hours, so that any liquid left in the oil sticks to the tray. Once frozen, pour off the oil and pass through a fine sieve

8. Step 8

   Blend the cucumber skins together with 400g chlorophyll oil, and then infuse in the fridge for 24 hours

9. Step 9

   The next day, strain the cucumber oil through a fine mesh sieve

10. Step 10

    Dry the brined cod and portion it to 140g. Wrap in cling film

11. Step 11

    For the cockles, heat a pan over a high heat. Add the cockles, white wine, celery and sliced onion and then cover with a lid

12. Step 12

    Cook for a few minutes until they all open, and then strain the stock. Keep the stock and the cockles, and chill both quickly

13. Step 13

    Pick all the cockles from their shells

14. Step 14

    For the cockle velouté, add 700g cockle stock to a pan and reduce to 200ml. Add the double cream, crème fraîche and Maldon salt to taste

15. Step 15

    Blend the butter into the velouté, and then add lemon juice and black pepper to taste

16. Step 16

    For the potatoes, bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the potatoes for 6 minutes, then drain

17. Step 17

    For the cucumber, compress the cucumber rounds with some of the cucumber oil, reserving some for finishing the chowder

18. Step 18

    Grill the cucumbers on one side, and then set aside

19. Step 19

    Blanch all the sea vegetables in a pot of salted water. Dress with olive oil and lemon juice to taste

20. Step 20

    To assemble the dish, first preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4

21. Step 21

    Pan-fry the cod portions in a little olive oil. Once golden, transfer to the oven and bake for 4-6 minutes or until cooked through

22. Step 22

    Cook 3 cockles per portion in some butter in a pan

23. Step 23

    Add the diced blanched shallots, 100g of the Charlotte potatoes, 300g cockle velouté and the chopped chives to a pan. Gently warm the chowder, and add 100g of the picked cockles at the last minute, to prevent them from becoming tough

24. Step 24

    Split the chowder with some cucumber oil, and then spoon the chowder onto 4 plates. Add the cod and grilled cucumbers, and then finish the dish with the dressed sea vegetables and freshly opened cockles