M&S recipe inspiration
Oat and sesame crusted cod loin with braised leeks and parsley sauce
Short of time? Heat 2 tubs of M&S parsley sauce to serve with the fish instead.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp caster sugar
- 4 tbsp M&S pink Himalayan rock salt
- 4 M&S cod loin fillets
For the dry fish brine
For the braised leeks
- 4 leeks
- 50g unsalted butter
- 40ml white wine
- 50ml M&S chicken stock
- 3 sprigs thyme
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
For the crushed new potatoes
- 750g baby new potatoes
- 150ml M&S chicken stock
- 1 Beldi preserved lemon, skin only, chopped
- 50g unsalted butter
- 25g chives, chopped
For the parsley sauce
- 50g unsalted butter
- 200g M&S whole milk
- 200g M&S chicken stock
- 50g plain white flour
- 100g pack flat leaf parsley, leaves only
- Sea salt and white pepper
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 100g M&S mussels in white wine
For the fish prep
- 4 tbsp M&S Scottish jumbo oats
- 4 tbsp M&S panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp parmesan grated
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- 25g chives, chopped
- 3 M&S large free-range eggs, beaten
Method
- For the dry fish brine: mix the salt and sugar together. Put the cod on a lipped tray or container and cover the fish with the salt/sugar mix. Put the fish in the fridge to cure for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 210°C/190°C.
- For the leeks: trim the green leafy part of the leeks and discard (or use for stock). Slice the white portion in half lengthways.
- Heat the butter in a large frying pan and braise the leeks for about 2-3 minutes until golden. Transfer to a baking dish. Add the remaining ingredients and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover with baking paper. Roast for 20 minutes. Remove and add the lemon zest.
- For the potatoes: put the potatoes and stock in a medium saucepan. Boil for about 15 minutes until tender. Drain and return to the pan. Add the remaining ingredients and lightly crush with a potato masher. Set aside to reheat while the fish is cooking.
- For the parsley sauce, heat two small saucepans. Melt the butter in one and add the milk and stock to the other. Keep the heat on medium for both. Add the flour to the butter and whisk for 2 minutes. Add a small ladle of the milk/stock liquid to the flour paste and whisk it quickly to ensure there are no lumps in the mix. Slowly add the remaining liquid until you achieve a smooth thickened sauce, the consistency of pouring cream.
- Transfer the sauce to a blender, add the parsley leaves and blitz the two together until you have a smooth, vibrant green sauce. Taste and season with salt, white pepper, nutmeg and lemon juice. Pour into a small saucepan to reheat later for the cod. Add the mussels.
- For the fish: Heat your grill. Rinse the cod to remove the salt/sugar mix, pat dry and place one half (white side) into the beaten egg mix.
- In shallow dish, mix together the remaining dry ingredients. Dip the egg wash side of the cod into the oat breadcrumb mix, place on a baking tray and bake for 8 minutes until golden. Leave to rest for 3-5 minutes.
- Serve the fish with the potatoes, leeks and parsley.
