Cod, turnips, broadbeans

It is Sunday, it is raining again,  we do not want to go out and cannot work in the garden. Plenty of time to check the fridge (fresh broadbeans, bunch of small turnips) and the freezer (what the French call lieu noir, the English saithe, a firm cod-type of fish). Then we turn to our recipebooks. Nigel Slater  tells us what to do with the turnips. Rick Stein comes up with a nice sauce, that will take 45 minutes, but we have time on our hands.

Cod (or any other firm fish): 300 gr

Broadbeans: 12

Turnips: 3

Dill: 3 sprigs

Carrot: 1

Celery: 1 stalk

Small leek: 1

Shallot: 1

Mushrooms: 2

Fishstock: 500 ml

Start with the sauce: chop carrot, celery, leek and shallot. Sweat them in 25 gr butter and 1 tbs cognac, till soft. Add the chopped mushrooms, fish stock, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp thai oystersauce, 2 tblsp oliveoil, small dried chili. Simmer for 30 minutes

.



        

In the meantime cut the turnips in halves and the each half in 3 parts.       

Get the beans out of the pods and skin them

                                                                                                                            Pass  the sauce through a sieve and bring back to the boil and simmer till reduced to a nice thickness. Will take another 15 to 20 minutes. Time to do the turnips: put a knob of butter in a pan, with a pinch of brown caster sugar a splash of Madeira (or sherry), the dill  and some black pepper. Cover and simmer till soft. Boil the broadbeans for 3 minutes.

Put the fish fillets in a plastic bag, with flour, salt and pepper and shake till the fish is lightly dusted..Once the sauce is thick enough, heat up some olive oil and a small knob of butter. When hot add the fish, about 3 mins on each side, depending on the thickness. In the meantime slice 30 grams of cold butter in small dices, whisk one by one through the sauce (off the heat) till he sauce looks velvety.

Warm 2 plates in the microwave (900W, 2 mins) and plate up as shown. A well spent hour, enjoy!