Ingredients
- 6 oz salt cod
- 4 lb mashing potato, peeled and halved
- 2 bay leaf
- 7 oz milk
- 2 oz butter
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- a big pinch of dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 14 oz chopped tomato
- 2 oz double cream
- a handful of parsley, chopped
- 2 oz grated Gruyère cheese
- salt
- pepper
Directions
First you have to rehydrate the salt cod until it’s bendy: this process is best kick-started by running it under cold water for 5 minutes, after which you can either leave it to soak in fresh water overnight, or if you’re in a hurry change the water every half an hour or so for 2 hours.
Once your cod is ready for action, cover the potatoes with cold salted water and put on a high heat with a lid on the pan to boil.
Give the cod a squeeze and put it into a small pan with the bay and milk over a low heat. Cook gently for 30 minutes or until the fish start to fall apart.
Meanwhile, melt half the butter in a large frying pan and gently cook the onion, carrots, garlic, oregano and paprika with a lid for about ?5 minutes. Tip the tomatoes into the pan, then half-fill the tomato tin with water, give it a swirl and pour that in as well. Turn up the heat, season, then put the lid back on, slightly squiffed, and leave to bubble for about 20 minutes, or until it has a good saucy consistency.
Take the fish out (chuck the milk too salty) and peel off any skin and pick out the bones. When the potatoes are tender, drain and mash them, then put the fish bits in with the spuds, breaking them up a bit on the way in. Stir in the rest of the butter, the cream and parsley, and season well with pepper, and taste before adding any salt.
Preheat the grill to medium. Pour the tomato sauce into a baking dish and spoon the fishy mash in an island in the middle, leaving a bit of tomato sauce showing round the edge. Top with the cheese (mainly covering the mash) and put under the grill until golden brown.
Recipe courtesy of Bought, Borrowed, Stolen by Allegra McEvedy/Conran Octopus, 2011.
