POACHED POLLOCK WITH MOUSSELINE POTATO

Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Serves 4

I first had this at La Fontaine Gaillon in Paris, then Gérard Depardieu’s restaurant. It’s a great way to cook white fish, which uses the oil it’s poached in to mix with the potato. Everyone raves about this luxurious mashed potato, which is almost like a sauce. I’ve briefly cooked some sea beet and sea purslane to garnish; you could use baby spinach or wild garlic.

INGREDIENTS

– 1 large baking potato

– ½ tbsp Cornish sea salt

– 4 thick portions of pollock or cod, weighing about 180g each, skinned

– olive oil mixed with an equal quantity of vegetable oil, enough to cover the fish

– 1 garlic clove, peeled and halved

– a few sprigs of thyme

– 1 tsp fennel seeds

– 10 peppercorns

– 1 bay leaf

– 100g unsalted butter

– freshly ground white pepper

– milk, if needed

METHOD Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6. Bake the potato for 45 minutes to an hour, until soft.

Meanwhile, scatter the salt on the fish and leave it to sit for 30 minutes. Put enough of the oil mix in a saucepan to cover the fish. (A small, tightfitting pan should be used or you will end up using too much oil.)

Put the garlic, thyme, fennel seeds, peppercorns and bay leaf in the pan. Heat the pan gently and leave to infuse on a very low heat for 10 minutes (a diffuser plate works well for this).

Rinse off the pollock and add to the oil, then continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Cover the pan and remove from the heat.

Halve the potato and mash using a potato ricer or masher, into a saucepan. Beat in the butter with a wooden spoon or whisk, with some of the oil the fish was cooked in, strained, and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground white pepper. The potato should be a thick, smooth, sauce-like consistency – if not just beat in a little milk and season to taste.

To serve, carefully remove the fish from the oil and dab it on some kitchen paper, then put it on warmed serving plates with a couple of spoonfuls of potato, and spoon a little of the oil on to the fish.