Solo vs sociable: fish dishes

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

40g butter Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 x 150g skinless cod fillets 50g fresh podded or frozen peas 200g cooked Maris Piper potatoes, diced Bunch of asparagus 100g samphire For the tartare sauce: 50ml hot fish stock 100ml double cream 1 tbsp fresh mayonnaise 1 little gem lettuce, shredded 4 baby gherkins, diced 1 tsp nonpareille capers A few dill fronds, chopped 50g white crab meat Juice of ½ lemon

METHOD

Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat until hot then add 15g of butter. Season the cod and as soon as the butter has melted, cook the fillets for 2-3 mins on each side, until the fish is opaque all the way through. Put on a warm plate, cover and leave to rest. Set the pan aside to make the sauce in.

Pop the remaining butter in a separate saucepan over a medium heat. As soon as the butter has melted, stir in the peas and potatoes. Cut the asparagus spears in half and dice the bottom half. Add them and the samphire to the pan. Season and cook, stirring, for 2-3 mins.

For the sauce, pour the stock and cream into the frying pan. Bring to the boil, then gently simmer. Add the mayo, lettuce, gherkins, capers, dill and crab meat. Season and stir in the lemon juice.

Serve the cod on top of the vegetables and spoon over the sauce.